watch now VIDEO 4:27 04:27 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: U.S. can hold AI talks with China because ‘we are in the lead' Squawk Box China will use its influence in Iran to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC in an interview on Thursday. "It's very much in their interest to get the strait reopened," Bessent told CNBC's Joe Kernen. "I think they will ...
watch now VIDEO 4:27 04:27 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: U.S. can hold AI talks with China because ‘we are in the lead' Squawk Box China will use its influence in Iran to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC in an interview on Thursday. "It's very much in their interest to get the strait reopened," Bessent told CNBC's Joe Kernen. "I think they will be working behind the scenes to the extent anyone has any say over the Iranian leadership." China is the largest crude oil importer in the world. About 10% of its imports came from Iran and more than half came from the the Middle East in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration . Nearly all of Iran's crude oil exports go to China, the Treasury Secretary said. "China has a much bigger interest in reopening the strait than the U.S. does," Bessent told CNBC. President Donald Trump held talks with President Xi Jinping during a two-day summit in Beijing on Thursday. A White House official said the leaders agreed Hormuz needs to reopen. "The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy," the White House official said. "President Xi also made clear China's opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use." Iran has blockaded the strait since early March in response to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that killed many of its leaders, including its head of state Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The blockade has cut off Persian Gulf oil exports to the global market, triggering the biggest supply disruption in history. Some 20% of the world's crude oil transited through the strait prior to the war. Tehran is now claiming control over the narrow sea lane, which has been a key sticking point in stalemated peace talks with the U.S. It has reportedly sought to implement a toll system for ships to cross Hormuz. Chinese state media reports, however, did not specifically mention Hormuz as a top...
Jonathan Ferro, Lisa Abramowicz and Annmarie Hordern speak daily with leaders and decision makers from Wall Street to Washington and beyond. No other program better positions investors and executives for the trading day. (Source: Bloomberg)
Jonathan Ferro, Lisa Abramowicz and Annmarie Hordern speak daily with leaders and decision makers from Wall Street to Washington and beyond. No other program better positions investors and executives for the trading day. (Source: Bloomberg)
Mortgage rates in the US were little changed even as the escalating energy crisis drives inflation higher. The average rate for 30-year fixed loans slipped to 6.36% from 6.37% last week. A year ago, it was 6.81%. With the key home-selling season underway, consumers were bracing for higher financing costs. But rates stayed roughly flat despite inflation indicators this week signaling a likely incre...
Mortgage rates in the US were little changed even as the escalating energy crisis drives inflation higher. The average rate for 30-year fixed loans slipped to 6.36% from 6.37% last week. A year ago, it was 6.81%. With the key home-selling season underway, consumers were bracing for higher financing costs. But rates stayed roughly flat despite inflation indicators this week signaling a likely increase. Inflation accelerated in April on higher gasoline and grocery prices, government data showed this week, boosting expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates. Read More: Inflation Resurgence Squeezes US Voters as Gas, Food Prices Rise “It all goes back to the war and how long it goes for,” said Melissa Cohn , regional vice president of William Raveis Mortgage. “The fact that there’s no end in sight at the moment has a negative impact on the markets.” Even so, borrowing costs remain below year-earlier levels, easing affordability concerns for buyers and potentially making it easier for homeowners to sell, even if they’ve locked in lower rates on their current mortgages. While the peak sales season got off to a slow start, the median home price rose 2.4% in April, the largest annual gain since March 2025, according to Redfin . At the same time, pending sales reached a 2023 high and active listings jumped, suggesting sellers are returning. By historical standards, the housing market remains weak, and the ups and downs of rates may undermine the recent momentum as the conflict in the Middle East shows little signs of easing. At the current 30-year average, borrowers with a $1 million loan would pay about $6,229 a month, not including insurance and taxes. That’s up from $5,983 in late February when rates briefly dipped below 6%, right before the US-Israeli bombing campaign began.
JD.com (JD) shares broke out to a fresh 2026 high on Wednesday. That opens the door for a potentially higher run, after reporting first-quarter 2026 earnings that exceeded analyst expectations. The stock’s 20-day moving average has renewed its upward trend, after creating a brief base. The 200-day moving average turned...
JD.com (JD) shares broke out to a fresh 2026 high on Wednesday. That opens the door for a potentially higher run, after reporting first-quarter 2026 earnings that exceeded analyst expectations. The stock’s 20-day moving average has renewed its upward trend, after creating a brief base. The 200-day moving average turned...
Chinese President Xi Jinping opposes charging a toll in the Strait of Hormuz, a White House official said, in an apparent reference to Iran’s effort to monetize its control of the waterway where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally transit. Xi talked about that and the potential purchase of more US oil at a meeting with President Donald Trump in Beijing today, the ...
Chinese President Xi Jinping opposes charging a toll in the Strait of Hormuz, a White House official said, in an apparent reference to Iran’s effort to monetize its control of the waterway where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally transit. Xi talked about that and the potential purchase of more US oil at a meeting with President Donald Trump in Beijing today, the official said. China’s readout didn’t include energy in the list of topics the two presidents discussed, although it did say the pair talked about the Middle East. US efforts to end the war with Iran were dealt a setback after a commercial vessel was apparently seized by unauthorized personnel near the United Arab Emirates, adding to uncertainty over control of the Hormuz strait. The ship, whose identity wasn’t disclosed, was taken 38 nautical miles off the UAE coast and was bound for the Islamic Republic, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said today. Separately, India condemned an attack on one of its vessels in the Gulf of Oman, which sunk after it was set ablaze, calling the incident “unacceptable.” Iran will allow a number of Chinese vessels to transit the strait following discussions with Beijing’s foreign ministry, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. — Zoltan Simon What You’ll Need to Know Today Pressure grew on Keir Starmer to resign after his health secretary quit to challenge the UK prime minister for his job. Wes Streeting’s departure raises the prospect of an imminent leadership contest, where Starmer will have to fend off rivals like the 43-year-old former cabinet member. Starmer’s former No. 2, Angela Rayner, indicated today that she was also preparing for a bid to lead the governing Labour Party after announcing she had been cleared by a tax probe. The market reaction was muted in the face of potential political uncertainty, but read here why that’s a space to watch. Kushner Disappoints Mideast Clients Who Spent Millions Seeking Sway Qatar, Saudi Arabi...
tobiasjo/E+ via Getty Images Introduction At our Conservative Income Portfolio service, I focus almost 100% on undervalued preferred stocks, baby bonds and traditional bonds. With fixed-income investments we have generated returns that are much better than common stock average returns with much more safety, so I find little reason to invest in common stocks. But I think RWAY presents the potential...
tobiasjo/E+ via Getty Images Introduction At our Conservative Income Portfolio service, I focus almost 100% on undervalued preferred stocks, baby bonds and traditional bonds. With fixed-income investments we have generated returns that are much better than common stock average returns with much more safety, so I find little reason to invest in common stocks. But I think RWAY presents the potential of very big returns and so I have made an unusual investment in a common stock and I thought I would write about. Runway Growth RWAY Website Runway Growth ( RWAY ) is a BDC (business development company). A good number of BDCs have sold off quite a bit in recent months. Because of AI, some believe that it will make other software products obsolete or at least harm their sales, and fear has gripped a number of BDCs that have loans to software companies. But none has been beaten down like RWAY. I researched the sector and believe that RWAY is the most undervalued BDC. With a $1.32 annual dividend and a current stripped price of $6.20 the yield on RWAY is 21.3%. The current price is $6.52, but with 32 cents in accrued dividends, that makes the stripped price $6.20. RWAY goes ex-dividend 33 cents on May 18th. But we are not yield chasers here, and this is certainly not enough of a reason to buy it. We only buy undervalued companies and focus on total return rather than dividend yield. According to its most recent press release , RWAY’s book value (NAV) is $12.13. So the discount to NAV is about 49%. So I have taken a position in RWAY, at least a starter position, and thought I would share my research for those who might be interested in this kind of investment. With such a high yield of 21.30%, we can make money even if RWAY has not hit bottom in terms of price, as the dividend is currently at $1.32 per year (33 cents per quarter). And if the price does continue lower, providing an even larger discount to NAV, I will likely add to my position. Besides trading at a huge discoun...
Bessent Says US, China To Launch AI Safety Talks After Trump-Xi Meeting In Beijing Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on May 14 that Washington and Beijing would begin formal discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) safety protocols following meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Bess...
Bessent Says US, China To Launch AI Safety Talks After Trump-Xi Meeting In Beijing Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on May 14 that Washington and Beijing would begin formal discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) safety protocols following meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Bessent’s comments come as the rival powers sought to stabilize ties strained by trade disputes, the Iran conflict, and AI competition. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives at Incheon International Airport ahead of a scheduled meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and trade talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Incheon, South Korea, on May 13, 2026. Kim Soo-hyeon/Reuters Speaking to CNBC from the sidelines of the Trump–Xi summit, Bessent said the United States and China—which he described as the world’s “two AI superpowers”—were preparing to establish a framework on AI best practices and safeguards aimed at preventing advanced models from falling into the wrong hands. “ The two AI superpowers are going to start talking ,” Bessent said. “We’re gonna set up a protocol in terms of how do we go forward with best practices for AI to make sure non-state actors don’t get a hold of these models.” Bessent said the United States would seek to embed “U.S. values” and American-led best practices into emerging global AI standards, adding that Washington was engaging Beijing from a position of technological strength. “The reason we are able to have fulsome discussions with the Chinese on AI is because we are in the lead,” he said. “ I do not think we would be having the same discussions if they were this far ahead of us. ” The remarks came as Trump and Xi concluded the first major round of meetings during Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing, his first trip to China since returning to office for a second term. In a White House readout issued after the meeting, Washing...
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is heading into earnings with enormous AI momentum, a massive revenue guide, and investor expectations that may be harder to beat than the numbers themselves. The bull case still looks strong, but China pressure, Data Center demand, and management's outlook could decide whether the stock keeps climbing or finally hits resistance. Stock prices used were the market prices of Ma...
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is heading into earnings with enormous AI momentum, a massive revenue guide, and investor expectations that may be harder to beat than the numbers themselves. The bull case still looks strong, but China pressure, Data Center demand, and management's outlook could decide whether the stock keeps climbing or finally hits resistance. Stock prices used were the market prices of May 8, 2026. The video was published on May 13, 2026. Continue reading
LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2026--Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced a strategic partnership with Skich, an alternative mobile game marketplace operating on iOS in the EU under Apple's Digital Markets Act provisions and on Android globally. Under the agreement, Xsolla will serve as Merchant of Record for in-app purchases and paid game sales distributed through the Skich...
LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2026--Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced a strategic partnership with Skich, an alternative mobile game marketplace operating on iOS in the EU under Apple's Digital Markets Act provisions and on Android globally. Under the agreement, Xsolla will serve as Merchant of Record for in-app purchases and paid game sales distributed through the Skich Store.