Argentina is negotiating a $2 billion loan with private banks with guarantees from World Bank institutions, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. Talks are led by Economy Minister Luis Caputo , who is in Washington attending the meeting of the International Monetary Fund and seeking funding to refinance upcoming debt maturities at lower rates. The loan would be almost fully backed by two institutions of the World Bank — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency — in a structure similar to that used by Panama to borrow $1.4 billion earlier this year, the people said, requesting anonymity as the talks are private. Spokespeople for the World Bank and Argentina’s Economy Ministry didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment. Argentina is negotiating an interest rate of about 5%, though talks aren’t final and terms could change, according to the people. The financing would be significantly cheaper than returning right now to global capital markets, where Argentina faces bond yields of more than 9%. The next step after the loan would be a return to international markets, according to the people. Caputo told investors Wednesday that Argentina wouldn’t need to tap global capital markets at least for the rest of this year. Read More: Caputo Says Argentina Has Cheaper Funding Options Than Bond Sale The financing would come on top of Argentina’s existing $20 billion IMF program and a separate currency swap line with the US Treasury for the same amount.

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) holders have been circling April 16 on their calendars for weeks. Crypto Twitter has been calling today’s SEC event a CLARITY Act roundtable. With XRP up 4% in the past 24 hours to $1.41, traders are expecting the event to push the XRP price above the $1.45 resistance. But the roundtable isn’t ... XRP Price: Why Today’s SEC Roundtable Might Not Move XRP As Expected

aapsky/iStock via Getty Images Ondas Inc. ( ONDS ) stock skyrocketed by more than 1,000% over the last twelve months. This significant move was backed by exponential revenue growth and decisively improving unit economics. The company generated just $7.2 million in FY2024 sales, but 2026 fiscal year revenue is expected to be $379 million , a 53x increase. In light of this, a ~10x share price increase doesn't look unjustified. The company's net operating cash flow is still negative at the moment, but the balance sheet is strong with ample liquidity and nearly no debt. From the external environment perspective, Ondas is primed to benefit from the mounting geopolitical uncertainty as global military spending is climbing . With both internal and external positives, Ondas looks like a really interesting investment opportunity. Fundamental analysis In the official company overview included in ONDS's 10-K report , Ondas is described as a defense, security, and critical infrastructure technology company. It is organized around three business units: Ondas Autonomous Systems [OAS], Ondas Networks, and Ondas Capital. Extract from the 10-K report of Ondas OAS is this company's main revenue source, which generated 98% of FY2025 consolidated sales. What's more, there are three revenue categories within OAS. Physical products constitute approximately two-thirds of total sales, including its flagship Iron Drone Raider system used for security purposes to defend against drone attacks. The company's revenue breakdown suggests that product revenue is the primary growth engine. Extract from the 10-K report of Ondas Strong revenue growth in the OAS product business is primed to last for longer. Since 2022, the world has witnessed various military conflicts, but arguably the largest ones are the Russia-Ukraine war and the joint military operation by the United States and Israel in the Gulf. There is one big similarity in them, which is a rapidly growing usage of drones for military purpos...

把重大科技基础设施集群建设作为增强科技创新策源功能的关键抓手。 上海市委副书记、市长龚正今天（4月16日）调研在沪国家重大科技基础设施时指出，要深入贯彻落实习近平总书记考察上海重要讲话精神，按照市委部署，立足国家战略全局，把重大科技基础设施集群建设作为增强科技创新策源功能的关键抓手，持续强化基础研究和前沿技术攻关，深化大科学设施建设运行机制改革，以高质量科技供给牵引现代化产业体系建设，在重大战略领域塑造上海科技新优势，为实现高水平科技自立自强贡献上海力量。 海底科学观测网是我国首个基于海底建设的重大科技基础设施。下午，龚正一行来到同济大学临港基地，察看监测与数据中心及相关实验室，详细了解观测网建设进展、关键技术攻关以及成果产出情况。 龚正指出，重大科技基础设施是突破科学前沿、破解重大科技课题的“国之重器”，是上海培育发展新质生产力的关键支撑。海洋是高质量发展的战略要地，蕴藏着巨大发展潜力与机遇。要建好用好海底科学观测网，充分发挥学科与人才优势，持续深耕海洋科技创新，不断突破关键核心技术，产出更多原创性、引领性重大成果，更好助力海洋强国建设。要把握全球创新要素流动规律，大力吸引顶尖科学家和跨学科团队开展联合研究，在开放共享中催生更多原创性突破。要做好观测数据的挖掘应用，加快科研成果向经济社会应用转化，更好赋能海洋产业数智化转型。 随后，龚正来到上海科技大学终极能源中心，实地调研磁惯性约束聚变能源系统关键物理技术项目建设与科研进展，详细了解关键技术研发、实验装置建设等情况，并询问后续规划。 龚正指出，可控核聚变等前沿领域将孕育未来产业突破的“核爆点”，要全力以赴、加快推进，为我国未来能源发展战略贡献上海力量。面对全球技术革命加速演变，要增强科技布局的战略性和敏捷性，探索科研组织模式再造，努力突破一批具有塑造未来产业潜力的关键核心技术。要推动科技创新和产业创新深度融合，整合利用好全社会创新资源和力量，畅通从基础研究到产业应用的全链条循环，加快培育发展新质生产力，构建具有全球竞争力的开放创新生态。 市委常委、常务副市长吴伟，同济大学党委书记郑庆华参加相关调研。

Wall Street brokerages stick to two Fed rate cuts in 2026 Reuters

luoman/iStock via Getty Images Europe has "maybe six weeks or so" of jet fuel remaining, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said Thursday in an interview with the Associated Press, offering a grim view of "the largest energy crisis we have ever faced" stemming from the near-shutdown of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz. The impact will be "higher petrol [gasoline] prices, higher gas prices, high electricity prices," and possible flight cancellations "soon," Birol told AP. Economic pain will be felt unevenly, Birol said, naming countries such as Japan, Korea, India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and "poorer countries in Asia, in Africa, and in Latin America" as being on the front line of the energy crisis... and "then it will come to Europe and the Americas." "Soon we will hear the news that some of the flights from city A to city B might be canceled as a result of lack of jet fuel" in Europe if the Strait is not reopened, Birol said. The IEA chief said he opposed the "toll booth" system that Iran has applied to some ships, and allowing such a system to become more permanent would run the risk of setting a precedent that could then be applied to other waterways, including the vital Malacca Strait in Asia. ETFs: ( USO ), ( BNO ), ( UCO ), ( SCO ), ( USL ), ( DBO ), ( DRIP ), ( GUSH ), ( USOI ) More on crude oil Iran: A Game Theory Analysis Of The Hormuz Siege Gold vs. Oil December World Oil Production Slides

paisan191/iStock via Getty Images I cover a small selection of semiconductor and chip companies in my usual coverage, usually related to some sort of niche appeal. I like companies with a specialized approach or product with a bit of a moat and tend to stay away from commoditized companies in this sector. This is because of the current chip/semiconductor sector. Why is it a problem if the company you look at is producing things like DRAM, NAND flash chips, legacy MCs, and the like? By which I mean things that, comparatively and in the sector, aren't that difficult to reproduce or for competition to “shoe in” on. Because the current market environment is not kind to them, the semiconductor industry is a very complex market to be in. It's very easy to believe that just because of the recent AI boom, there's plenty of revenue and profit to go around—but this is actually far from the truth. The fact is that the boom in AI has created structural bottlenecks and profit issues in some company sectors and sectors that used to be far more appealing. The demand due to AI for what is known as high-bandwidth memory and advanced logic chips means that there are far fewer of these chips going around for other manufacturers. The producers of exactly these key components are facing incredible production times because they are focusing on serving the currently high-margin AI market. So, where does the subject and target of today's article, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. ( SWKS ), fit into this mix? SWKS is a semiconductor, and it produces RF (which stands for radio frequency) and analog/mixed signal semis. What these products do is provide connectivity for things like 5G, Wi-Fi networks, and other components, which naturally tilt towards the automotive market, the cellular market, and the industrial market. You will note that all of these end markets are actually quite volatile. I have not covered SWKS before, but the company has not done well as of late. On a 1-year basis, it's barely po...

LUMN's AI pivot, $13B in PCF deals and sharp debt cuts reshape its outlook, while T leans on steady subscriber growth and fiber expansion.

空调行业的“铝代铜”争论，在沉寂数月后再度升温。这一次，舆论焦点从技术路线分歧，迅速滑向格力电器（000651.SZ）与海信家电（000921.SZ）两大品牌之间的正面交锋。 导火索出现在近期的上海家博会。格力电器CMO朱磊在社交平台发文称，现场发现海信空调在宣传中直接使用“真铜实料”表述，并质疑这一说法的使用边界。在格力的叙述体系中，“真铜实料”并非单一广告语，而是一套围绕核心部件选材的标准，其关键判断之一在于电机绕组是否采用铜线，只要仍存在铝线应用，便不应被归入这一范畴。 海信方面迅速回应，其空气事业部品牌总监杨祥玺援引过往行业报道，否认“真铜实料”为格力独有表达，并将争论引向格力自身的材料使用问题。杨祥玺认为，格力一方面长期公开反对“铝代铜”，另一方面却在2025年加入相关行业研究工作组，存在立场摇摆之嫌。 4月15日晚，杨祥玺在视频平台发声，质疑格力部分产品中电机绕组材料的实际使用情况，并附上第三方拆机视频作为佐证。视频显示格力的5匹空调，内部铭牌显示无刷直流永磁电动机备注为铝线。 △图源：杨祥玺视频平台账号 争论至此，已从“谁有资格使用某一表述”，转向对具体产品材料构成的公开对质。围绕电机绕组是否存在铝线的分歧，使得“真铜实料”这一原本偏营销层面的标签，被拉回到可验证的产品细节上。 与此同时，“铝代铜”本身的舆论语境也在发生变化。过去一段时间，相关讨论逐渐被简化为“以次充好”的代名词。“国内个别舆论将‘铝代铜’简单等同于降级劣质选材，这一认知与全球高端制造的成熟实践完全相悖。”资深空调行业专家陈建民表示。 铝代铜：谁在研究，谁在使用？ 在格力的叙述体系中，“铝代铜”几乎与“真铜实料”对立。朱磊在社交平台公开表示，格力在四大核心部件上坚持使用铜材，“不会像一些企业那样，在低价产品中悄然改用铝线电机”。在其看来，去年底行业内19家企业发起的相关自律倡议，本质上是“在成本压力面前的退让”。 然而，杨祥玺直指，网上热议的“铝代铜”自律倡议存在被利用和炒作的情形。 实际上，这项行业性自律倡议的出炉事出有因。其背景是，在推进“十五五”国家重点研发计划中的“全铝换热器高耐腐技术及加工装备研发”过程中，中国制冷学会及成员企业担心企业间口径不统一，阻碍研发人员对铝应用的研究进程，因此在内部发起行业自律倡议活动。 这一说法与行业组织的公开表述基本一致。 去年12月，中国制冷学...

共同签署两地2026—2030年友好合作交流备忘录。 上海市市长龚正今天（4月16日）会见了奥地利施蒂利亚州州长马里奥·库纳塞克，并共同签署两地2026—2030年友好合作交流备忘录。 龚正说，中国和奥地利是相互尊重、平等相待的友好战略伙伴，今年又迎来建交55周年的重要时刻。上海和施蒂利亚州自2017年建立友好交流关系以来，在经贸投资、高等教育等领域开展了广泛务实合作。当前，上海正加快建成具有世界影响力的社会主义现代化国际大都市。我们愿以新一轮友好合作交流备忘录的签署为契机，持续拓宽两地交流合作空间，实现更高水平的互利共赢。希望加强经贸和产业投资合作，热忱欢迎更多施蒂利亚州企业亮相进博会，加大在沪投资，在移动出行、绿色低碳、生物医药、创意设计等领域开展务实合作。我们也鼓励上海企业赴施蒂利亚州投资，与当地企业携手开拓国际市场，实现共赢发展。希望两地拓展教育科技领域交流合作的广度和深度，欢迎施蒂利亚州民众用好免签政策，走进上海，了解上海，感受东方文化魅力。 库纳塞克说，上海在经济、创新、科学和文化等领域都是有全球影响的中心城市，这里经济发达、文化多元，传统与现代交融。施蒂利亚州是奥地利工业核心区，工业、科学、教育协同发展，也是自然风光秀丽、文化底蕴深厚的旅游目的地，与上海有许多相似之处。此次签署备忘录，是双方友好交往新的里程碑，也是新的出发点，希望深化各领域合作，寻找新的合作机遇，携手实现更大发展。 奥地利驻华大使海沃福、奥地利驻沪总领事梅伯森参加会见。

Carson Advisory Inc.'s Meta Platforms Inc(META) Holding History GuruFocus

Chipmaker lifts 2026 outlook, expects over 30% growth and up to $56 billion capex amid resilient AI spending.

chiewr/iStock via Getty Images Okta ( OKTA ) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform by Raymond James due in part to the increasing use of artificial intelligence agents heightening the need for identity security. Shares of the company had edged up 6% during early trading on Thursday. "Our recent conversations with channel partners suggest that Al is beginning to move from the experimentation to the production phase in Enterprise use cases, and agents that have previously been using human identity security will now need their own identity security," said Raymond James analysts, led by Adam Tindle, in a Thursday investor note. "We see the potential for a significant unit TAM increase for Okta's core market due to Agents in the workforce." Raymond James set an $85 price target on the stock. What's more, Okta's revenue should benefit from the end of downsized contracts related to COVID-19. Okta played a crucial role in enabling remote work during and after the pandemic through its identity management and Zero Trust security framework. "OKTA has gone from $200 in FY23 to $60s today as NRR (key growth metric) decelerated from >120% to ~106% due to downsized renewals from COVID cohorts that overprovisioned," Tindle noted. "We see this headwind subsiding as average contract duration is just under three years (i.e., renewals have all rolled through), and our analysis of various metrics (CRPO/RPO/Subs) suggests a forward waterfall that should result in upside to growth. We would not be surprised to see revenue growth >10% for FY27." During its fourth quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call in early March, Okta provided guidance of 9% revenue growth for fiscal 2027. Last month, BMO upgraded Okta to Outperform from Market Perform due to the opportunity of identity management related to AI agents. They set a $97 price target on the stock. The company revealed Okta for AI agents in November 2025. "We've had hundreds and hundreds of meetings to talk about this product," said Okt...

(NAB Show) - Following on the heels of the deal announced last August to unify Gray Media's (NYSE: GTN) digital footprint, Quickplay today announced the full-scale deployment of Gray Media's next-generation streaming platform. Built with Google Cloud AI, the new platform is now live across Gray's 113 legacy television markets, and soon to be launched across four new markets that recently joined the Gray Media family.

格隆汇4月16日｜据央视，美军参谋长联席会议主席凯恩当地时间4月16日在新闻发布会上通报对伊朗港口实施的海上封锁行动时表示，目前，共有超过一万名水兵、海军陆战队员及空军官兵，协同十几艘军舰和数十架军机，正在执行此次任务。凯恩称，封锁行动已持续超过24小时，截至目前，已有13艘船只调头返航。

No Need for Space Gear — Capcom’s ‘PRAGMATA’ Joins GeForce NOW on Launch Day NVIDIA Blog

小鹏X9超级增程，预售35万元起，上市卖30.98万元起； 小鹏G7，预售23.58万元起，上市卖19.58万元起； 小鹏P7+，预售20.98万元起，上市卖18.68万元起…… 虽然预售价起高调子、上市价反转拉满情绪的情节不是小鹏的专属，但要论最乐此不疲的，这家总部在广州的新势力车企应该是有力候选。除了上述提到的车型，全新一代小鹏P7作为品牌旗舰轿车，更是这套剧情的典范。 2025年8月6日，全新一代小鹏P7开启预售。当时没有发布预售价，而公司“大师兄”何小鹏在随后的媒体专访、财报业绩电话会等场合均明确表示该车定位30万元级别。“客观说，我当然希望它是走量爆品，但它一定不会是部分鹏友期待的那种‘便宜’”，何小鹏在其个人微博表示。 最终，全新一代小鹏P7定价21.98万元起，且即便是入门车型也悉数配备图灵芯片、空气悬架等宣发阶段的重点配置。当然，全新一代P7确有一款售价30.18万元鹏翼版车型，一定程度来说，这也算圆了30万元级别定位的说法。 一系列案例在前，再将目光放到何小鹏4月15日发布的全新旗舰SUV——小鹏GX上，创品牌新高的39.98万元预售价完全不是问题。相比之下，小鹏GX是否价格有吸引力就一定能有销量，也许更值得关注。 还没找到自己的高端标签 在当下新车多得看不过来的国内新能源车市场，有越来越多价格和产品力都没有问题，但销量始终达不到预期的车型。 全新一代小鹏P7就是典型。 根据来源于中汽协和乘联会的第三方终端零售数据，全新一代小鹏P7自2025年8月上市至今年3月累计销量为23041台。这样的销量成绩，放在2021年的初代小鹏P7上，只需要3～4个月就能完成。 要知道，当时初代小鹏P7的平均成交价，可是25万—30万元的水平。 将全新一代小鹏P7放到市场中横向对比，其表现同样比不上前代车型。以“纯电动轿车”“20万—25万元”作为关键词进行车型销量排序，在过去半年时间（2025年10月—2026年3月）里，全新一代小鹏P7排在特斯拉Model 3、小米SU7以及极氪007之后。 在这样的背景下，也许小鹏需要重新审视支撑自身高端化的标签是什么，尤其是在全新一代小鹏P7、小鹏GX等目标切入20万元甚至30万元以上市场的新旗舰车型上。 现阶段提到小鹏，大部分人的印象是AI智能和原创先锋设计，这也是车企官方引导的主要方向。但细想之下，这两种标签也许并不适合作...

QUALCOMM Incorporated stock (US7475251036): Is AI chip demand strong enough to unlock sustained upsi AD HOC NEWS

一季度全国固定资产投资同比增长1.7%，成功扭转了上年全年下降3.8%的局面。 一季度，中国经济实现良好开局。国内生产总值（GDP）同比增长5%，增速较去年四季度加快0.5个百分点。 国家统计局副局长毛盛勇4月16日在国务院新闻办发布会上表示，在去年一季度高基数、今年外部环境更加复杂严峻的情况下，中国经济开局良好，难能可贵。充分体现了我国经济的强大韧性，充分反映了高质量发展的成色，充分展现了我国的制度优势和政策效能。 在“两重”“两新”等政策作用下，一季度内需对经济增长的贡献率达到了84.7%，同比大幅提高了近30个百分点。社会消费品零售总额接近13万亿元，同比增长2.4%，增速比上年四季度加快0.7个百分点。由于今年春节假期偏晚，对3月份的生产、消费、投资等指标产生了一定扰动，导致当月部分数据出现小幅回落。 一季度全国固定资产投资同比增长1.7%，成功扭转了上年全年下降3.8%的局面。毛盛勇在发布会上回答第一财经记者提问时表示，重点领域投资较快增长，新兴领域投资增势较好，城乡区域补短板投资增加，社会民生领域投入加大。既要关心投资的规模和速度，更要关注固定资产投资的结构、效益和质量以及可持续性，希望更多有效投资推动民生改善、推动新质生产力成长、推动经济社会高质量发展。 内需“主引擎”作用凸显 随着加快培育服务消费新增长点等工作方案落地，服务消费保持较快增长。一季度，服务零售额同比增长5.5%，比商品零售额增速高3.3个百分点。假日消费持续升温，居民出行人数大幅度增加，文旅、赛事等领域的消费潜力不断释放。文体休闲服务类、旅游咨询租赁服务类的零售额均实现两位数增长。 新业态、新模式、新场景不断涌现，网上消费、数字消费发展形势向好。一季度，网上商品和服务零售额同比增长8%，明显快于社会消费品零售总额的增速。其中，网上商品零售额增长7.5%，占社会消费品零售总额的比重为24.8%；无人值守店、仓储会员店等新零售模式零售额保持两位数增长；“人工智能”等数字化应用带动数字、信息服务消费较快增长。 毛盛勇表示，同时也要看到，当前居民消费能力、消费意愿还需要进一步增强，优质商品和服务供给还不能完全满足多元化消费需求。下阶段，要全面贯彻落实中央经济工作会议精神和全国两会的部署，着力建设强大国内市场，进一步稳就业、促增收，大力优化消费环境，协同创新消费模式，不断释放消费潜力，推动经济持...

财联社4月16日讯（记者 郭子硕） 昨日，央行、外汇局联合发布《关于调整 银行 业金融机构境外贷款业务有关事宜的通知》（下称《通知》），其中“境内外资银行的境外贷款杠杆率上调”成为核心亮点，引发外资行广泛关注与积极解读。 受访外资银行普遍认为，此举是对其在华经营的重要政策支持，更彰显了中国金融高水平开放的坚定决心。星展银行（中国）相关负责人在接受记者采访时直言，“《通知》出台对于境内外资银行的发展具有结构性的利好作用，同时再次彰显了中国金融市场持续深化 改革 和高水平对外开放的决心。” “将有力助推人民币在国际信贷和投资中的使用” 财联社记者了解到，随着境外贷款业务持续发展，部分银行境外贷款余额已逐渐接近原有上限，此次新政的出台精准回应了市场需求。 此次《通知》核心调整聚焦两大方面：一是将境内外商独资银行、境内中外合资银行、外国银行境内分行的境外贷款杠杆率从0.5翻倍至1.5（港、澳、台地区在大陆设立银行比照适用），进出口银行的境外贷款杠杆率从3升至3.5；二是优化间接方式贷款管理要求，允许境内银行通过向境外银行融出资金等方式间接向境外企业发放一年期以上本外币贷款，可由境外银行依据其所在国家或地区相关法律法规办理。 《新规》还按照不同银行的一级资本净额及存量业务规模，对国家开发银行（1.5）、进出口银行（3）和其它银行（0.5）设置了差异化的杠杆率。 “近年来中资企业海外拓展步伐加快，企业对跨境金融服务、尤其是跨境贷款的需求明显上升。”渣打银行（中国）副行长、金融市场部总经理及战略产品发展总监杨京告诉财联社记者，此次上调境内外资银行境外贷款杠杆率至1.5，为外资银行在华经营的进一步发展提供了切实有效的政策支持。 杨京进一步指出，新政不仅能够支持外资行进一步发挥专长，深度参与到跨境贷款业务中，而且还有效拓宽了人民币资金“走出去”的关键渠道，将有力助推人民币在国际信贷和投资中的使用。 进一步支持中 国企 业“走出去” 星展银行（中国）相关负责人在接受财联社记者采访时表示，新政充分回应了中国企业“走出去”日益增长的跨境金融需求。“以往部分银行在境外贷款余额方面可能面临上限的制约。新政将境内外资银行的境外贷款杠杆率从0.5上调至1.5，并将核定上限从20亿元人民币大幅提升至100亿元人民币，可支持境内外资银行利用集团的资本实力为更多的中资‘走出去’企业以及在境外经营的跨国企...

格隆汇4月16日｜据两名直接了解相关谈判情况的消息人士透露，谷歌正与美国国防部磋商一项协议，允许五角大楼在机密环境中部署谷歌的Gemini大模型。 若双方达成协议，将扩大谷歌作为科技承包商与五角大楼的合作关系，也标志着该公司在军方合作立场上发生重大转变。 其中一名知情人士称，双方正商议的协议将允许五角大楼将谷歌人工智能用于所有合法用途。不过该人士表示，谈判期间，谷歌已提议在与国防部的合同中增加附加条款，防止其人工智能被用于国内大规模监控或自主武器系统（包括目标锁定），除非有“适当”的人类监督与管控。 这两大争议点正是今年2月五角大楼与人工智能初创公司Anthropic因军方使用其技术爆发冲突的核心。目前尚不清楚这些条款最终是否会写入谷歌与五角大楼的最终协议。 至少截至目前，两名知情人士称，谷歌与美国国防部的磋商正朝着达成协议的方向推进。

Stellantis 与 微软 周四宣布，双方已达成一项 五年战略合作协议 ，将共同开发人工智能（AI）、网络安全及工程技术能力。这家汽车制造商正加紧追赶以科技为核心的竞争对手。 软件与数据驱动型服务已成为车企长期战略的核心，尤其是在中国车企加速研发各类功能以吸引国内外消费者的背景下。 传统车企往往难以独立攻克软件与技术难题，因此正越来越多地与科技企业合作，借助其专业能力与技术速度实现突破。 “通过与微软的合作，我们将在全公司范围内加快人工智能布局步伐。”Stellantis 首席工程与技术官内德・丘里奇在联合声明中表示。 双方并未披露此项合作的财务细节。 Stellantis 此前一直依靠科技合作来支撑其软件战略，并为驾驶者提供更个性化的体验，不过该公司已放弃部分相关项目，目前正聚焦于提升核心汽车销量与产品质量。 路透社去年曾报道，Stellantis 与 亚马逊 的车载软件合作协议已逐步终止。 Stellantis 与微软的此次合作是双方既有合作关系的深化，两家公司此前已在智能网联汽车平台与车载数字服务领域开展过合作。 双方表示，根据协议，联合团队将共同推进 超 100 项人工智能项目 ，覆盖产品研发与验证、预测性维护与测试，以及更快推出数字化功能和服务等领域。 通过此次合作，这家拥有 Jeep、标致等品牌的车企还将升级其全球网络安全中心，利用人工智能分析技术防范网络威胁，保护全球范围内的车辆、用户数据及业务运营安全。 该网络安全中心将覆盖 IT 系统、智能网联汽车、生产基地及数字产品，把安全功能深度嵌入移动应用与车载服务之中。 作为合作内容之一，Stellantis 将依托微软 Azure 云平台加速 IT 基础设施现代化升级，目标是到 2029 年将其数据中心规模缩减 60%。 责任编辑：郭明煜

Welcome to Next Africa, a daily newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed. Sign up here to have it delivered to your email. In today’s edition, we look at what Julius Malema’s jail sentence means for South Africa. And: Fuel costs drive up Nigerian monthly inflation Madagascar probes graft and threats to the president An icon of emerging-market investing dies Jail Time A publicity stunt has come back to haunt Julius Malema, the rabble-rousing South African politician. In 2018, Malema was filmed firing into the air with what looked like an automatic rifle at an anniversary rally for his Economic Freedom Fighters party. The footage went viral on social media and he was charged with violating gun laws. A court rejected his lawyer’s contention that he had used a toy weapon and convicted him on five counts. Today’s sentencing to five years in prison is a stinging blow that effectively disqualifies him from serving as a lawmaker in parliament. Granted, he will appeal and given the lengthy process through the country’s multi-tiered legal system it may be years before any punishment comes into force. Malema, 45, has been in the public spotlight for years. He broke away from the African National Congress, the biggest party, to form the EFF in 2013 and drew a strong following with calls for land and mines to be nationalized and the nation’s wealth to be more evenly spread. Malema and his lawmakers, who wear red overalls in parliament, have courted controversy at every turn, brawling with security officials in the legislature. He’s even raised the ire of US President Donald Trump, with his singing of an apartheid-era song calling for White Afrikaner farmers to be killed becoming a focal point of a testy Oval Office meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa last year. There’s scant chance Malema will tone down his public rhetoric as a result of a conviction and sentencing that his supporters see as politically motivated. Malema may even use the case to ga...

据The Information，谷歌与五角大楼讨论机密人工智能合作协议，洽谈使用Gemini模型，重建与军方关系。

阿卡力思海事技术(ABL)集团通过其位于埃及的子公司，与PetroSafe签署了一份谅解备忘录，双方将合作在埃及为能源资产提供陆上和海上技术服务。 该协议涵盖海上和陆上设施，并包括在能源基础设施（包括水下资产）全生命周期内提供旨在支持安全和性能的服务方面的合作。 根据谅解备忘录，ABL及其设计和工程部门Longitude将为PetroSafe提供培训、海上保险和咨询服务，包括船舶检验、审计、动力定位试验和关键系统咨询。 Longitude还将为行业相关方提供培训，同时两家公司都将支持PetroSafe提供港口和港湾方面的咨询，包括脱碳服务。 Longitude工艺工程负责人Stewart Brown表示：“埃及的海上能源格局既繁忙又扩张迅速。从一开始就确保成本优化和长期、可持续的资产性能至关重要。这不仅是为了保持竞争力，也是为了支持更广泛的能源安全。” “通过专业培训和集成的资产完整性方法，尽早嵌入过程安全管理基础，是实现安全、可靠和富有韧性的能源资产的关键。” ABL集团表示，该协议扩展了此前与PetroSafe在资产和数据管理方面的合作。 责任编辑：张俊 SF065

Source: Bloomberg, 4:02

Executives from Amazon MGM are no closer to revealing who is lined up for the coveted role, saying, ‘We’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect’ The new James Bond studio heads have attempted to calm fans about who will play the British spy in the new film. Speaking at trade show CinemaCon in the US on Wednesday, executives from Amazon MGM studios – which bought the series rights as part of an $8.45bn (£6.9bn) deal in 2022 – indicated that an abundance of caution on their part meant the role was not yet cast. Continue reading...

Achieve Life Sciences ( ACHV ) on Thursday said it has entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private placement that could raise up to about $354 million in gross proceeds. The financing includes an upfront investment of about $180 million, with up to an additional $174 million tied to the exercise of milestone-based warrants. Proceeds will be used to fund a Phase 3 trial of its smoking cessation drug candidate cytisinicline for e-cigarette use, support commercialization efforts, and for general corporate purposes. The private placement is expected to close on April 17, subject to customary conditions. ACHV +9.01% premarket to $3.87. Source: Press Release More on Achieve Life Sciences Achieve Life Sciences: The Recent Sell-Off Skews The Outcomes Achieve Life Sciences: Maintaining 'Buy' On Upcoming PDUFA And Expansion Into Vaping Cessation Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (ACHV) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Achieve Life Sciences outlines first half 2027 cytisinicline launch supported by U.S. manufacturing shift and AI-driven commercialization Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Achieve Life Sciences

jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It’s been around a year since my first article on PPG Industries, Inc. ( PPG ), so there is no better time to look at the company’s FY25 performance and what is still in store for 2026. Briefly on Performance For the first half of 2025, the company struggled to grow its top line. FX headwinds, as well as divestitures , affected the company’s performance throughout the first two quarters. From the third quarter onwards, the previous divestitures were out of the way, with organic sales rising by over 2%, pushed higher by stronger aerospace, protective, and marine demand. The last quarter of the year was particularly good, with 5% growth y/y, 3% organic growth, with higher selling prices and sales volumes across all regions. Seeking Alpha Over the last year, the company’s profitability took a dip, unfortunately. Global architectural coatings was the biggest drag early in the year, with Q1 sales down due to FX and lower volumes, with EBITDA margins falling to 16.8% from 19.9%. Another drag in Q1 was the Industrial coatings segment, with EBITDA decreasing by 90bps. The segment that slightly helped offset the weakness was the Performance coating segment, which not only maintained its EBITDA, but even increased it by 20bps. Q2 showed very similar performance across the segments. It’s only in Q4 that we see a marked improvement once again in the two underperforming segments, but nothing comes easy, as the Performance Coatings segment saw a decent dip in profitability. Segment’s EBITDA went from 23.1% to 21.1%. Automotive was the culprit behind the underperformance. Overall, FY25 saw around 80bps decrease in profitability. Seeking Alpha Looking at other key profitability metrics, we can see that, with the decent boost in the bottom line, PPG’s efficiency has vastly improved as well, as evidenced by an increase across all three metrics below. The management is much more efficient at utilizing the company’s assets, as well as shar...

Pixelbizz/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Prologis ( PLD ) stock was gaining after the industrial REIT reported first-quarter earnings that exceeded the average analyst estimate and raised the 2026 guidance to above consensus at the midpoint. "We delivered record lease signings of 64M square feet in our logistics business this quarter, reflecting the strength of our platform and resilient customer demand," said CEO Daniel Letter. "We also advanced our data center platform with $1.3B of build-to-suit development starts, and we are scaling digital infrastructure and energy to support our next phase of growth," said Letter. Shares were 1.99% higher at $142.55 during Thursday's pre-market trading. The company reported Q1 core FFO of $1.50, which exceeds the S&P Cap IQ consensus estimate by $0.01. Revenue of $2.3B (+7.5% Y/Y) beats by $180M. Adjusted EBITDA was $2.18B in Q1, up from $1.77B in the prior-year period. Occupancy stood at 95.3% at the end of the first quarter. Average occupancy came in at the same level. "Even amid an uncertain geopolitical environment, this combination of strong execution and capital strength underpins our increased core FFO outlook," said CFO Timothy Arndt. Prologis now expects its 2026 core FFO to be in the range of $6.07 to $6.23, revised from the prior guidance of $6.00 to $6.20. The current guidance is higher by $0.02 at the midpoint from the consensus estimate of $6.13. Average occupancy guidance range has been narrowed to 95.00%-95.75% from 94.75%-95.75%. Earnings call is scheduled for 12:00 PM ET today. More on Prologis After A Massive Rally, The Easy Money May Be Gone - Prologis Prologis, Inc. (PLD) Presents at 47th Annual Raymond James Institutional Investor Conference Transcript Prologis, Inc. (PLD) Presents at Citi's Miami Global Property CEO Conference 2026 Transcript Prologis FFO of $1.52 beats by $0.03, revenue of $2.3B beats by $180M Prologis Q1 2026 Earnings Preview