Hi, this is Andrea in Prague. Welcome to our weekly newsletter on what’s shaping economics and investments from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans. You can subscribe here . Coveted Ukraine’s drone production has been one of the standout industries to emerge from the war with Russia. The country has said it could make as many as 4 million a year, and it’s been adept in deploying them. The success has dr...
Hi, this is Andrea in Prague. Welcome to our weekly newsletter on what’s shaping economics and investments from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans. You can subscribe here . Coveted Ukraine’s drone production has been one of the standout industries to emerge from the war with Russia. The country has said it could make as many as 4 million a year, and it’s been adept in deploying them. The success has drawn interest from the US. The Department of Defense asked to test a range of Ukrainian military products, including drones and electronic warfare systems, with a view to buying them , as my colleagues Volodymyr Verbianyi, Alberto Nardelli and Courtney McBride reported this week. The potential sticking point, though, is that Washington also wants to get the transfer of technology and access to intellectual property rights. Closing the deal depends on approval at the highest political level. Whatever happens, it shows how militaries are looking to tap into Ukraine’s expertise. It’s been able to strike deep into Russian territory, slowing and at times reversing battlefield gains by Moscow’s bigger army. Drones dispatched by Kyiv also managed to inflict significant damage on oil facilities that help finance the Kremlin’s war machine. Ukraine’s neighbors, meanwhile, are getting increasingly desperate to improve their defenses against enemy drones. They caused havoc inside NATO territory this week when the Lithuanian president and top officials were rushed to shelters after an air alert, my colleague Milda Seputyte reported. Estonia said a NATO warplane shot down a drone over the country for the first time. The reality of drone-imposed danger is becoming more apparent in Poland, too. Indeed, cities and towns are preparing for a dangerous future , my colleague Maxim Edwards wrote. The budget for shelters and bunkers will rise 50% this year to 3.6 billion zloty ($986 million), and that’s just from the civil defense department. Around the Region Serbia: President Aleksandar Vucic is...
TAIPEI -- AMD CEO Lisa Su is predicting the market for central processing units (CPUs) will grow massively over the next five years, saying no one in the industry had expected such a surge in demand amid the global rush to build out AI infrastructure.
TAIPEI -- AMD CEO Lisa Su is predicting the market for central processing units (CPUs) will grow massively over the next five years, saying no one in the industry had expected such a surge in demand amid the global rush to build out AI infrastructure.
Bet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images By Warren Patterson , Head of Commodities Strategy and Ewa Manthey , Commodities Strategist Energy - Oil focus remains on US-Iran negotiations Markets are still searching for signs of progress in a potential deal between the US and Iran. While there are signs of optimism, uncertainty reigns. This is not the first time a deal seemed close, only for negotiations to ...
Bet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images By Warren Patterson , Head of Commodities Strategy and Ewa Manthey , Commodities Strategist Energy - Oil focus remains on US-Iran negotiations Markets are still searching for signs of progress in a potential deal between the US and Iran. While there are signs of optimism, uncertainty reigns. This is not the first time a deal seemed close, only for negotiations to break down. So, there’s a large segment of the market that will be more sceptical about the positive signals we are seeing. While Iran said that the gap between demands has narrowed, there’s still the issue of its uranium enrichment - as well as the uranium stockpile it is sitting on. The US wants this stockpile transferred out of the country. The other issue is the management of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is pushing for a formal toll system through the strait, a move that will face considerable pushback. Its implementation would set a risky precedent for the free flow of vessels through key chokepoints globally. Uncertainty over a potential deal is reflected in oil prices, with the market being whipsawed by headlines. However, ICE Brent still managed to settle 2.3% lower yesterday and below $103/bbl, its lowest close since early May. The latest refined product inventory data from Insights Global for the ARA region shows that total refined product stocks increased by just 3kt week-on-week to 4.46mt. Gasoline inventories fell by 131kt WoW to 1.04mt; they continue to hover below the 5-year average. The decline in gasoline stocks was offset by increases in other products. Gasoil stocks increased by 55kt, while jet fuel inventories increased by 26kt WoW despite the ongoing disruptions to Middle Eastern refined product flows. However, jet fuel stocks at 590kt remain well below the 5-year average of 844kt for this time of year. The strength in the jet regrade has led refineries around the globe to increase jet fuel yields. This will help ease some of the tightness in the jet fuel...
A second shooting occurred in the coastal town of Omoa near the border of Guatemala, where at least four police officers were killed, National Police spokesperson Edgardo Barahona has said. One civilian was also reported to have been killed in the second attack.
A second shooting occurred in the coastal town of Omoa near the border of Guatemala, where at least four police officers were killed, National Police spokesperson Edgardo Barahona has said. One civilian was also reported to have been killed in the second attack.
Getty Images The market runs in cycles, and at any given time there are a handful of sectors that are hot and many more that are not. It's clear in 2026 that investors fear missing out on the historic run in semiconductor stocks, which has buoyed the S&P 500 to fresh highs while tilting valuations higher. In my view, the most important thing that investors should do in this moment is to diversify ...
Getty Images The market runs in cycles, and at any given time there are a handful of sectors that are hot and many more that are not. It's clear in 2026 that investors fear missing out on the historic run in semiconductor stocks, which has buoyed the S&P 500 to fresh highs while tilting valuations higher. In my view, the most important thing that investors should do in this moment is to diversify into the less popular industries to prepare for a changing of the guard in the market cycle. With that in mind, Compass ( COMP ) is a great way to play the downtrodden housing sector. Fresh off completing its acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate to become, hands down, the largest real estate broker in the United States, shares of Compass are down 20% since the start of the year, eliminating much of last year's gains. To me, this is a great time to take a fresh look at the bull case for this company. Data by YCharts I last wrote a "Buy" article on Compass in March, when the stock was trading at $9 per share. Since then, shares of Compass have been very volatile, but ultimately the stock has missed out on the broad rebound rally in the S&P 500. Amid clear evidence of healthy acquisition integration, we focus on what Compass can control, which is its cost and sales execution as it waits for the housing market to rebound. I'm reiterating my "Buy" rating on this stock. As a reminder for investors who are newer to this company, here is what I view to be the core drivers of the bull case for Compass: Compass' sales performance continues to outperform the U.S. real estate industry, cementing its competitive advantage and market share gains. While the broad U.S. real estate space is flat, Compass is growing mid/high single digits. These are market share gains that will sustain as housing recovers. Superior agent retention. No doubt one of the major criticisms of Compass is that its growth isn't very organic. The company has deployed a "buy versus build" mentality, snapping up weaker ...
The European Union will propose temporarily lifting sanctions on a major Chinese semiconductor supplier after automakers warned of impending supply chain chaos if the ban isn’t removed, Bloomberg News reported. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will propose the exemption for the chip manufacturer Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic Technology Co. as early as this week , according to people ...
The European Union will propose temporarily lifting sanctions on a major Chinese semiconductor supplier after automakers warned of impending supply chain chaos if the ban isn’t removed, Bloomberg News reported. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will propose the exemption for the chip manufacturer Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic Technology Co. as early as this week , according to people familiar with the matter. Implementation of such a move would require approval by the bloc’s 27 member states. Yangjie Electronic was included in the EU’s 20th sanctions package, which listed entities based in China that the bloc says provided dual-use goods or weapons systems to Russia. The Chinese semiconductor firm was sanctioned in April after dozens of shipments of its technologies allegedly reached Russia and its products were found in drones and glide bombs used against Ukraine, the report said. European automakers lobbied the EU to delay the ban, saying they haven’t had time to diversify their supply chains and that the measures would cause stocks to be depleted in weeks, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Any derogation would be temporary and likely last several months to give the industry more time to find alternative suppliers. More on Vanguard European Stock Index Fund ETF, iShares Europe ETF, etc. IEUR: High Financials Sector Allocation A Plus As Interest Rates Rise SPEU: High P/E Relative To History Despite Forward Earnings Risks Potential Iran De-Escalation Offers Upside For European Equities EU economic minister warns bloc is facing 'stagflationary shock' EU eyes pushing companies to buy components from non-Chinese suppliers - report
India’s central bank may need to draw on its 2013 taper tantrum playbook and earlier balance-of-payments crises to mount an effective defense of the beleaguered rupee. The Reserve Bank of India under Governor Sanjay Malhotra is considering a range of measures to stabilize the currency, including raising interest rates, additional currency swaps and steps to raise dollars from overseas investors, B...
India’s central bank may need to draw on its 2013 taper tantrum playbook and earlier balance-of-payments crises to mount an effective defense of the beleaguered rupee. The Reserve Bank of India under Governor Sanjay Malhotra is considering a range of measures to stabilize the currency, including raising interest rates, additional currency swaps and steps to raise dollars from overseas investors, Bloomberg News reported Thursday. The urgency has grown after the rupee slumped to a record low of nearly 97 per dollar this week, driving up import costs and further eroding investors’ confidence. The RBI’s immediate priority: arrest further depreciation. “It’s important to avoid a self-fulfilling spiral, where a weaker rupee encourages more hedging, which puts more pressure on the currency and encourages even more hedging,” said Sajjid Chinoy , India economist at JPMorgan Chase Bank. “Capital augmentation is needed to break the cycle and, if done, it should be done in scale to alter expectations in the FX market.” India faced a similar crisis in 2013 when the Federal Reserve signaled it would begin tapering quantitative easing, triggering capital outflows across emerging markets that saw the rupee weaken from about 55 per dollar in May that year to almost 69 by August. The RBI, then led by Governor D. Subbarao, responded by tightening liquidity and raising the marginal standing facility rate by 200 basis points. Those measures briefly slowed the rupee’s slide, but the currency continued to weaken until newly appointed Governor Raghuram Rajan unveiled a foreign-currency non-resident deposit program in September that mobilized more than $30 billion. Economists say the RBI may now have to consider a similar strategy, including encouraging banks to issue overseas bonds. While India has never sold sovereign foreign-currency debt, State Bank of India raised more than $4 billion and $5.5 billion through overseas bond issuances in 1998 and 2000, respectively, to shore up financing...
Oleksandr Shatyrov/iStock Editorial via Getty Images By Elior Manier Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) has pulled back from the important $80,000 level, and this drop has also affected the wider altcoin market. Right now, cryptocurrencies are somewhat falling behind US stocks after the recent US-Iran peace draft. Nasdaq, normally highly correlated to digital assets, has quickly moved back toward new highs thank...
Oleksandr Shatyrov/iStock Editorial via Getty Images By Elior Manier Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) has pulled back from the important $80,000 level, and this drop has also affected the wider altcoin market. Right now, cryptocurrencies are somewhat falling behind US stocks after the recent US-Iran peace draft. Nasdaq, normally highly correlated to digital assets, has quickly moved back toward new highs thanks to optimism about diplomacy, but despite the correlations, cryptocurrencies have barely moved. This clear difference shows that digital assets are not following the usual trends in the broader market, at least for now. Cryptocurrencies have been stuck in a long period of relative sideways movement, unable to break out as some traders hoped. This may have been frustrating for those looking for quick gains, but there are still some interesting technical signals to watch. The big question now is whether this slow price action is a warning sign or a chance to buy at a discount. Total Crypto Market Cap – Daily Chart. May 21, 2026 – Source: TradingView The digital asset market has shown resilience by bouncing off important moving averages, even though there has not been a big surge in retail trading. If overall market sentiment remains positive and the peace talks continue to hold, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could soon rally and make up for lost ground compared to tech stocks. But this will depend on if investors can remain hopeful about the deal and its effect. Daily Crypto Performance (16:48). May 21, 2026 – Courtesy of Finviz Let's dive right into a technical analysis and key trading levels for both Bitcoin and Ethereum ( ETH-USD ) to spot if a clear breakout is indeed in play from here. Bitcoin ( BTC ) 4H Chart and Technical Levels Bitcoin (BTC) 4H Chart, May 21, 2026 – Source: TradingView Bitcoin has broken its recent upward channel that brought the action above $80,000, but looking at current trading, the action is far from bearish. The pullback stalled right at t...
According to estimates from 38 analysts, Tesla, Inc. stock's average price target has fallen from $399.18 to $395.21, with forecasts ranging from $24.86 to $600 per share Based on the May 21 closing price, the updated target implies approximately 5% potential downside Consensus rating has shifted to “Hold” across 52 covering analysts, with 23 Buys, 21 Holds and 8 Sells Explore more price target da...
According to estimates from 38 analysts, Tesla, Inc. stock's average price target has fallen from $399.18 to $395.21, with forecasts ranging from $24.86 to $600 per share Based on the May 21 closing price, the updated target implies approximately 5% potential downside Consensus rating has shifted to “Hold” across 52 covering analysts, with 23 Buys, 21 Holds and 8 Sells Explore more price target data and ratings for Tesla, Inc. on the Forecasts tab, and track all previous and future analyst recommendations for Tesla, Inc. in the dedicated News Flow.