Maximusnd/iStock via Getty Images Markets that had previously moved in lockstep began to diverge in March, creating new opportunities for short sellers to generate profits. Short sellers began 2026 facing a tough market backdrop. Equity markets were broadly rising, liquidity remained supportive, and optimism around AI continued to push valuations higher. By mid‑March, however, conditions began to ...
This week, NASA is scheduled to launch Artemis II, a mission that will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. But this comes at a time when the space agency is facing some pretty big funding challenges, as well as growing competition with private players like SpaceX. In this episode, we speak with Alexander MacDonald, who served as NASA's first chief economist an...
This week, NASA is scheduled to launch Artemis II, a mission that will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. But this comes at a time when the space agency is facing some pretty big funding challenges, as well as growing competition with private players like SpaceX. In this episode, we speak with Alexander MacDonald, who served as NASA's first chief economist and is now a senior associate at the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS. We talk about why the space agency had economists, how space exploration is funded, and how NASA measures its own economic impact. Please note, this episode was recorded March 10. (Source: Bloomberg)
A Hong Kong court has sentenced 13 parents and a merchant to up to 14 months in jail for offering bribes ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$200,000 (US$2,600 to US$25,600) to a kindergarten administrator at the city’s biggest international school group in exchange for enrolments. In earlier mitigation, some guilty parents pinned the blame on Fatima Rumjahn, accusing the former English Schools Foundation...
A Hong Kong court has sentenced 13 parents and a merchant to up to 14 months in jail for offering bribes ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$200,000 (US$2,600 to US$25,600) to a kindergarten administrator at the city’s biggest international school group in exchange for enrolments. In earlier mitigation, some guilty parents pinned the blame on Fatima Rumjahn, accusing the former English Schools Foundation (ESF) employee of “taking advantage of the parents’ eagerness to get their children into school”...
The Iran war has clouded the outlook for a South African economy that had entered its longest period of economic expansion since 2018, the country’s central bank said. “The buoyant performance of global and domestic financial markets over the past year was abruptly interrupted following the outbreak of the war,” the South African Reserve Bank said in its quarterly bulletin on Tuesday. The subseque...
The Iran war has clouded the outlook for a South African economy that had entered its longest period of economic expansion since 2018, the country’s central bank said. “The buoyant performance of global and domestic financial markets over the past year was abruptly interrupted following the outbreak of the war,” the South African Reserve Bank said in its quarterly bulletin on Tuesday. The subsequent rise in oil prices “is expected to exert significant upside pressure on domestic fuel prices in the coming months.” The bank held its benchmark interest rate steady at 6.75% last week, but cautioned a prolonged conflict in the Persian Gulf may warrant hikes in coming months, with the scale of the policy response hinging on how long hostilities last. Oil prices have surged more than 55% since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The central bank, whose quarterly bulletin mainly examined South Africa’s economic performance through the fourth quarter, said the imnpact of the conflict has yet to become apparent in the real economy
Syngenta Group , the Chinese-owned seed and pesticide giant that’s planning a potential Hong Kong listing, increased profits as it focused on higher-margin businesses. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization rose 13% to $4.4 billion last year, the Basel, Switzerland-based company said in a statement on Tuesday. Sales fell 1% to $28.4 billion, after it exited lower-margin grain...
Syngenta Group , the Chinese-owned seed and pesticide giant that’s planning a potential Hong Kong listing, increased profits as it focused on higher-margin businesses. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization rose 13% to $4.4 billion last year, the Basel, Switzerland-based company said in a statement on Tuesday. Sales fell 1% to $28.4 billion, after it exited lower-margin grain trading. The higher profit comes as Syngenta prepares for a second attempt at an initial public offering after being acquired by China National Chemical Corp. in 2017. Earnings could be further bolstered after Asian pesticide prices rose more than 10% since the start of the Iran war. The company’s crop protection unit accounts for almost half its sales. An IPO could value Syngenta, which also produces fertilizers and specialized crops, at $42 billion to $56 billion, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated before the earnings report. Read more: Syngenta Plans One of Hong Kong’s Biggest IPOs as Markets Rally The firm’s chief financial officer Hengde Qin will transition into the role of chief operating officer, after Nelson Jiang was appointed as its new CFO, Syngenta said in the statement.
Dmitry Vinogradov Stock index futures were sharply higher on Tuesday as an end to the Iran conflict could be near, with President Donald Trump prepared to wind down the military campaign against the country within weeks. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures ( INDU ) rose 1.22%, S&P 500 futures ( SPX ) advanced 1.20%, and Nasdaq 100 futures ( US100:IND ) climbed 1.14%. The moves came after the Wall...
Dmitry Vinogradov Stock index futures were sharply higher on Tuesday as an end to the Iran conflict could be near, with President Donald Trump prepared to wind down the military campaign against the country within weeks. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures ( INDU ) rose 1.22%, S&P 500 futures ( SPX ) advanced 1.20%, and Nasdaq 100 futures ( US100:IND ) climbed 1.14%. The moves came after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told aides he is willing to end hostilities on a four-to-six-week timeline, prioritizing the degradation of Iran’s navy and missile stocks over the more complex mission of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury yields edged lower across the curve. The 10-year Treasury yield ( US10Y ) fell 4.1 basis points to 4.32%, while the 2-year yield ( US2Y ) dropped 2.2 basis points to 3.82%. The 30-year yield ( US30Y ) declined 3.4 basis points to 4.88%. On the economic calendar, investors will watch for the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, FHFA House Price Index, Chicago PMI, and JOLTS. Fedspeak includes remarks from Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Austan Goolsbee, Kansas City (KS) Fed President Jeff Schmid, Fed Governor Michael Barr, and Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman. Top S&P 500 gainers in premarket trading included McCormick ( MKC ) +2.28%, Extra Space Storage ( EXR ) +2.00%, and Brown & Brown ( BRO ) +1.69%. Decliners included Sandisk ( SNDK ) -2.64%, Micron Technology ( MU ) -2.32%, and Ciena ( CIEN ) -2.17%. More on markets Oil Shock Meets Asset Price Deflation The Dollar's Strength The S&P 500 Fell Almost 9%, And I Took The Opportunity To Buy More (Here's Why)
(RTTNews) - Nordex SE (NDX1.DE, NRDXF, NRXXY), a manufacturer of multi-megawatt onshore wind turbines, on Tuesday announced that it has received a 42 MW order from Max Bögl, Max Bögl Stiftung & Co. KG for the supply and installation of six wind turbines in North Rhine-Westphalia,
(RTTNews) - Nordex SE (NDX1.DE, NRDXF, NRXXY), a manufacturer of multi-megawatt onshore wind turbines, on Tuesday announced that it has received a 42 MW order from Max Bögl, Max Bögl Stiftung & Co. KG for the supply and installation of six wind turbines in North Rhine-Westphalia,
European Central Bank Governing Council Madis Muller said it’s likely that borrowing costs will have to be increased over the coming quarters due to the inflationary effect of the Iran war. Policymakers will have to act if energy costs remain high for an extended period, the Estonian official said Tuesday. Based on how long they’ve already been elevated, the ECB’s baseline economic scenario — whic...
European Central Bank Governing Council Madis Muller said it’s likely that borrowing costs will have to be increased over the coming quarters due to the inflationary effect of the Iran war. Policymakers will have to act if energy costs remain high for an extended period, the Estonian official said Tuesday. Based on how long they’ve already been elevated, the ECB’s baseline economic scenario — which envisages 2026 inflation of 2.6% — already looks optimistic, he said. “It’s probable that in the coming quarters interest rates will rise,” Muller told reporters in Tallinn. European Consumers’ Inflation Expectations Surge on Iran War German Inflation Surges to Highest in More Than Year on War ECB Must Anchor Inflation Expectations, Villeroy Tells La Stampa
China’s military mouthpiece accused Japan of “dangerously expanding” its defence industry – in capacity, technology and international engagement – and said it had “crossed the red line”. In a rare full-page report on Monday, PLA Daily claimed Japan possessed an “astonishing” stockpile of nuclear materials and that it had the technology to produce nuclear weapons. It said 44.4 tonnes of plutonium h...
China’s military mouthpiece accused Japan of “dangerously expanding” its defence industry – in capacity, technology and international engagement – and said it had “crossed the red line”. In a rare full-page report on Monday, PLA Daily claimed Japan possessed an “astonishing” stockpile of nuclear materials and that it had the technology to produce nuclear weapons. It said 44.4 tonnes of plutonium had already been separated by the end of 2024 – enough to make about 5,500 nuclear warheads. The...