Waldemarus/iStock via Getty Images Stock index futures fell Friday as Nasdaq futures bottomed the pack after reports indicated that the recent U.S.-China talks did not focus on chips. Now, here are 5 news stories that broke overnight to watch out for: Putin to visit Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in Beijing for a one-day visit on May 20, just days after the conclu...
Waldemarus/iStock via Getty Images Stock index futures fell Friday as Nasdaq futures bottomed the pack after reports indicated that the recent U.S.-China talks did not focus on chips. Now, here are 5 news stories that broke overnight to watch out for: Putin to visit Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in Beijing for a one-day visit on May 20, just days after the conclusion of President Xi Jinping’s landmark summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Sources told the South China Morning Post the visit was part of Moscow’s routine dealings with Beijing, with little expectation of an elaborate parade or welcome ceremony. Trump discloses stock purchases: President Donald Trump made several stock and bond purchases in U.S. companies in the first quarter, amounting to at least $220M, according to a filing with the Office of Government Ethics. Trump bought as much as $5M each in companies, including Nvidia ( NVDA ), Boeing ( BA ), Oracle ( ORCL ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), and Costco ( COST ) in Q1. It’s unclear how many of these trades involve equities. California eyes cloud software tax: Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering a new tax that would target cloud-based software sales, according to a report by Bloomberg. The proposal, revealed Thursday as part of the governor’s annual budget revision, would impose a sales tax of 7.25% and affect major software vendors such as Microsoft ( MSFT ), Salesforce ( CRM ), Adobe ( ADBE ), Oracle ( ORCL ), and ServiceNow ( NOW ), as well as AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. The tax would not target streaming services. Walmart presses Flipkart on profitability: Walmart ( WMT ) has reportedly asked India-based e-commerce major Flipkart to defer its initial public offering plans and instead focus on achieving EBITDA breakeven before the end of the financial year 2027. The decision to prioritize profitability over raising fresh capital was taken during Walmart CEO and President John Furner’s visit to Bengaluru ...
Leon Neal/Getty Images News UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership may soon be challenged by his Labour Party colleagues, with the political uncertainty pushing the pound to an over one-month low on Friday. Starmer is facing growing calls to step down following his party's poor showing in local elections last week, less than two years after he won a landslide victory and took office. Certain...
Leon Neal/Getty Images News UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership may soon be challenged by his Labour Party colleagues, with the political uncertainty pushing the pound to an over one-month low on Friday. Starmer is facing growing calls to step down following his party's poor showing in local elections last week, less than two years after he won a landslide victory and took office. Certain Labour Party members have been positioning themselves this week to challenge Starmer, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Josh Simons, the Makerfield Labour MP, quit on Thursday to pave the way for Burnham to contest the seat. Burnham needs to be an MP to lead the Labour Party. Meanwhile, Wes Streeting on Thursday resigned as health minister — the first senior lawmaker to step down — and called for a leadership contest to replace Starmer. Streeting is viewed as a potential contender. Another possible candidate is Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister, who was facing an investigation into her tax affairs. On Thursday, she said the probe was over. The looming political turmoil has weighed on the sterling ( GBP:USD ), which weakened 0.4% against the U.S. dollar on Friday. The pound, which was already pressured by the Iran war-driven oil shock, is on track for its worst week since Nov. 2024. The benchmark FTSE 100 Index ( UKX ) was 1.4% lower at the time of writing, while UK bond yields rose across the curve. "Investors are increasingly pricing a leadership contest that leaves Labour shifting left, loosening fiscal rules and increasing borrowing," ING economists said. More on UK 0.6% U.K. Growth? Why You Should Be Sceptical GBP/USD Potential Bullish Reversal Above 20-Day Moving Average UK's economy posts strongest quarterly growth in a year UK bond market faces off with another prime minister and blinks (for now)
The resurgence of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) to the $80,000 price level has reignited hopes that the crypto market has finally turned the corner in 2026. So which cryptocurrencies are best positioned to soar? Here's a closer look at three cryptocurrencies to consider adding to your portfolio. This one is a no-brainer. The first crypto to consider adding to your portfolio is Bitcoin, the market leader. ...
The resurgence of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) to the $80,000 price level has reignited hopes that the crypto market has finally turned the corner in 2026. So which cryptocurrencies are best positioned to soar? Here's a closer look at three cryptocurrencies to consider adding to your portfolio. This one is a no-brainer. The first crypto to consider adding to your portfolio is Bitcoin, the market leader. In the crypto market, any rally typically starts with Bitcoin. And plenty of top names now think Bitcoin might be on the cusp of a major breakout. Continue reading