Wartsila Building Energy Storage in Support of Belgian Grid
Wärtsilä has been chosen by Gramme Storage 1 to build a 50‑MW/100‑MWh battery energy storage system in central‑eastern Belgium, with construction underway and commissioning expected by mid‑2027. The project will participate in Belgium’s Capacity Remuneration Mechanism, delivering frequency and voltage support to a grid where renewables now supply roughly 30% of power. Using Wärtsilä’s GridSolve Quantum 2 hardware and GEMS control software, the BESS aims to enhance grid flexibility as the country phases out nuclear and fossil generation. The installation brings Wärtsilä’s European storage portfolio above 2.7 GWh.
Gold Overtakes Major Currencies as Dollar Reserve Share Plummets
⚠️The US Dollar's role in global reserves is FALLING: USD share in global currency reserves dropped to ~40%, the lowest in at least 25 years. This is down from ~58% a decade ago. During the same period, gold’s share has risen from 16%...
BoI Approves B2.3bn Heat-Assisted Storage Project for WD Unit
Thailand’s Board of Investment has green‑lit a 2.3 billion‑baht research programme to develop heat‑assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology for Western Digital’s local unit. The initiative aims to produce hard‑disk drives capable of more than 100 TB of storage by 2029, leveraging laser‑heated...
State Firms Told to Avoid Borrowing when Investing
Thailand's finance ministry has instructed state‑owned enterprises to fund new investments primarily from internal revenues, limiting reliance on borrowing that is classified as public debt. The policy follows a backdrop where public debt stands at 66.1% of GDP, close to...
Economy Has 'Left ICU', Says Finance Chief
Thailand’s economy posted a surprising 2.5% GDP expansion in Q4 2025, outpacing the finance ministry’s 1.8% forecast and the NESDC’s 0.3% estimate. The stronger performance lifted full‑year 2025 growth to 2.4%, above the 2% target, and the finance chief now aims...
Epson Eyes Growing Corporate Market
Epson Thailand is shifting focus to the corporate B2B segment to achieve at least 5% growth in FY2026, leveraging government digital‑transformation projects and sustainability initiatives. While the B2C market is expected to contract 5% in FY2025, ink‑tank market share rose...
Oil Prices Edge Higher Ahead of US–Iran Nuclear Talks
Oil prices nudged higher on Monday as traders priced in the upcoming US‑Iran nuclear talks, which aim to ease regional tensions. The market also factored in OPEC‑plus’s plan to increase output later in the year, tempering the risk‑off sentiment. Brent...
Alphabet and Meta CDS Explode From Zero to Top Traders
A year ago, CDS on Alphabet and Meta didn't exist. Now they're among the most actively traded single-name contracts in the US market Nobody creates a default insurance market for fun... $GOOG $META
AUD/USD Flat Amid US Dollar Strength, RBA Minutes Eyed
The Australian dollar held near 0.7072 against the U.S. dollar on Monday as a firmer greenback limited upside. The pair slipped from three‑year highs of 0.7147 after U.S. CPI showed inflation easing to 2.4% and unemployment edging down to 4.3%,...
AI Disruption Drives Widening Credit Spreads Ahead of Earnings
AI disruption is hitting IG credit spreads, not just stock prices. Concentrix: BBB-rated, 455,000 call center employees. Paid 130bps concession to refinance. Stock down 24% last week. Spreads doubled in February. Credit markets pricing obsolescence before it shows up in earnings.
M&P Sees Silver Lining in Venezuela
Maurel & Prom (M&P) is lobbying Venezuelan authorities to regain access to its Urdaneta Oeste oil field after being omitted from the government’s initial roster of approved foreign operators. The Paris‑listed firm argues that the field, capable of delivering several thousand...
TotalEnergies, Oman Eye Marsa LNG Expansion
TotalEnergies and Oman’s state‑run OQ Exploration and Production are evaluating a second liquefaction train for the Marsa LNG project, which is currently under construction. The additional train would significantly raise the plant’s export capacity, positioning the facility as a major...
Your Due Diligence Checklist to Help Buy Your New Business
Buying a business without thorough due diligence can turn a promising investment into a costly liability. The article outlines a comprehensive checklist covering assets, employees, finances, legal matters, marketing, and operational structure to evaluate a target company. It emphasizes that...
Threats to New US-Canada Bridge
Canada is caught between a U.S. trade war and its own USMCA renewal, while seeking to expand its automotive sector with Asian partners. President Trump threatened 100% tariffs on Canadian goods and warned he could block the Gordie Howe International...
Dangote Drives Nigeria’s Domestic Fuel Supply Above 57% as Imports Retreat
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery reached full 650,000 bpd capacity in January 2026, processing a record 40.1 million litres of crude per day and supplying 57 % of the nation’s fuel. Domestic output now provides 62 % of premium motor spirit, overtaking imports for the first...
Egypt’s NCIC Issues Fertilizer Sales Tender: Correction
Egyptian fertilizer producer NCIC announced a new tender for March‑loading shipments, closing on 19 February. The offer includes 1,000 t water‑soluble SOP, 20,000 t CAN26 (grade corrected), 20,000 t granular urea, 25,000 t TSP and 20,000 t DAP. Prices reference previous tender sales, with urea spot...
10 Stocks the Best European Fund Managers Have Been Buying and Selling
Leading European large‑cap equity funds rebalanced portfolios in December, increasing exposure to financial services, healthcare and, to a lesser extent, industrials. At the same time, allocations to basic materials, consumer defensive and technology stocks were trimmed. ASML emerged as the...
AOM Biodiesel Deals Hit 2-Year High in January
European biodiesel trading on Argus Open Markets surged to its strongest January level in two years, driven by the EU’s revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) and Germany’s new rule eliminating carry‑over of surplus GHG certificates. The stricter mandates, which require...
The Promise and Peril of Trump’s Board of Peace
President Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace will hold its inaugural meeting on Feb. 19, promising to release $5 billion in humanitarian and reconstruction aid for Gaza. The board, established under UN Security Council Resolution 2803, will operate as a donor‑led, international...
Plus500 CEO, CFO, CMO to Sell 1.5M Shares
Plus500’s chief executive, chief financial officer and chief marketing officer announced the sale of 1,500,000 ordinary shares, representing roughly 2.14% of the company’s issued capital. The transaction will be executed on the secondary market through Goldman Sachs International, with Panmure...
Why Chevron Is Betting Big on Venezuela’s Heavy Crude
Chevron is aggressively expanding its Venezuelan heavy‑crude production to feed its complex Gulf Coast refineries, which are optimized for dense, sulfur‑rich oil. Global supplies of such crude have tightened as Mexican exports fall, Russian barrels are sanctioned, and Canadian logistics...
Vicat - FY 2025 Results
Vicat reported FY 2025 organic sales up 3.3% year‑on‑year, accelerated to 8.1% in Q4, while EBITDA rose 3.7% LFL to €771 million with a stable 20% margin. Net debt fell €85 million, bringing leverage to 1.49 times, and free cash flow remained strong at...
China 2026: A Quiet Reset in a Shifting Global Order
The episode reflects on the start of the Lunar New Year as a moment to pause and look ahead at China’s evolving role in a shifting global order. Using Wang Wei’s poem, the host argues that while major structures and...
VWAP Wave System: Structured Consistency, Amazon’s #3 Futures Bestseller
The VWAP Wave System just hit #3 Best Seller in Futures Trading on Amazon 📚🔥 No hype. No guessing. Just structure. This is what real consistency looks like. If you can’t name the setup… it’s not a trade. 🌊 Ride the Wave. #vwap #futurestrading #daytrading #tradingstrategy
RBI Eases On-Lending, Current A/C Rules in Final ECB Framework
The Reserve Bank of India released its final external commercial borrowing (ECB) framework, removing the mandatory "current account" condition for banks to become designated authorized dealers. While the RBI clarified that ECB proceeds may be used to purchase land and...
MB511: How to Use AI, Data, and Market Timing to Gain an “Unfair” Advantage in Multifamily — With Neal Bawa
Neal Bawa characterizes 2026 as a “muddle year” for multifamily, with rent growth flatlining and concessions climbing above one‑third of units. A three‑year supply binge left roughly 25% of new deliveries unabsorbed, pressuring especially Class A assets. Capital remains abundant, yet...
Niger Stockpiled 1,000t of Yellowcake at Military Base: FT
Niger's military government moved roughly 1,000 tonnes of uranium concentrate, known as yellowcake, to Air Base 101 near Niamey after seizing the Orano‑run mine. The stockpile remains unsold, with potential buyers from Russia, China, the United States and the UAE...
Inventory Watch
The North Shore Development Council (NSDCC) reported a 33% jump in pending home sales over the past two weeks, signaling a rapid acceleration as the market enters its spring season. Across price tiers, pending contracts rose from 112 to 154,...
Munich Security Conference 2026 Key Takeaways & Outlook
The 2026 Munich Security Conference highlighted a shift from cooperative interdependence to a world of managed strategic rivalry, where military posture, technology control, and capital flows are increasingly intertwined. Delegates discussed how this new security architecture reshapes alliances, supply‑chain resilience,...
Offset‑Dependent Clean‑Cooking Firm Fails, Warns Developing Nations
Clean cooking is a key climate solution. A company that raised $300 million and was reliant on carbon offset sales for its business model to work has gone bust. Lots of lessons for developing countries and offset sellers. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-16/clean-cooking-company-s-collapse-touches-world-bank-and-beyond
Turkey Secures Barley at Prices Below Initial Tender
Turkey's state grain buyer TMO closed a February tender for 195,000 t of feed barley at $266.20‑268.20 per tonne, pricing below the initial offers. Only 50,000 t were contracted on a CFR basis, with the remainder secured ex‑works from Turkish port stocks....
Cost of Credit for Builders & Developers at Its Lowest Since 2022
The NAHB’s AD&C Financing survey shows that in Q4 2025 the cost of credit for residential builders fell to its lowest level since 2022. Contract rates dropped across land acquisition, development, speculative and pre‑sold single‑family loans, and effective rates fell even...
Ordinary Review | Solactive Solar V2 Index | Effective 2nd March 2026
Solactive announced an ordinary review of its Solar v2 family of indices, effective 2 March 2026. The review covered the Solactive Solar v2 Index, its price return (PR) and total return (GTR) variants. No changes to the index composition were made, meaning...
Silver-Saving Efforts Ramping up in Solar Industry, Says Heraeus
Rising silver prices, now 187 % above early‑2025 levels, are pressuring solar manufacturers as silver paste can account for up to 30 % of cell costs. Heraeus forecasts a decline in photovoltaic silver demand despite stable global installations, citing ongoing substitution efforts....
Tax Savings Stem From Management, Not Just More Properties
Real estate tax strategies don’t just come from buying more properties. They come from how those properties are managed and who is actively involved. When you understand how participation and planning affect taxes, it changes how you look at income, investing,...
Daniel Marchese
Daniel Marchese serves as an analyst at All Star Charts and co‑runs The Chart Report, a platform that delivers a steady stream of annotated charts with actionable insights on stocks, markets, trends, and sectors. His analysis zeroes in on price...
Exporters Upbeat on Growth This Year
The Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) is confident that export growth will accelerate this year, buoyed by the active Philippines‑South Korea free‑trade agreement and several pending deals. Preliminary data show 2025 merchandise exports reached $84.41 billion, a 15.2% increase over 2024 and...
CLI Teams up with Japan’s NTT Group Anew for Luzon Expansion
Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) has signed a new joint‑venture agreement with NTT UD Asia Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Japan’s NTT Group, to develop a Japanese‑inspired mixed‑use condominium in Pasig. The venture, operating as CLI Luzon Ventures Inc., will launch the...
Philippines, Indonesian Nickel Miners Forge Cooperation Agreement
The Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) and Indonesia Nickel Miners Association (APNI) have signed a cooperation agreement to align investment confidence, policy dialogue, and responsible mining across the nickel value chain. The pact outlines five collaboration pillars—data sharing, industry dialogue...
The Quiet Architect of Trump’s Global Trade War
Jamieson Greer, a low‑key lawyer turned U.S. Trade Representative, has become the chief architect of President Trump’s renewed global trade war. Since his appointment in early 2025, Greer has designed aggressive tariff structures and led negotiations with major trading partners,...
DII Buying Offsets FII Selling, Keeping Nifty Afloat
FII's sold -972 Cr. DII's Bought Heavily +1666 Cr. It's been more than a year and nifty is trying to survive with the help of DII's only But without FII's, our portfolio will remain down and -ve 🔻 @champ_trader
Trump's Presidency Keeps Oil Prices Higher, OPEC+ Cuts Production
The best—only?—argument that Trump is bearish for oil prices is that OPEC+ wouldn't have hiked crude production as aggressively last year in a world in which Harris was sitting in the White House.
‘Magnificent’ Mega-Cap Margins Mask ‘Surging’ C-Suite Expense Angst
The S&P 500’s mega‑cap companies posted record‑high profit margins in Q4 2025, driven by strong pricing power and cost efficiencies. However, the earnings releases also revealed a sharp rise in C‑suite compensation and related overhead, outpacing earnings growth. Analysts note...
Eurogroup Sets 2026 Priorities, Boosts Euro’s Global Role
Back in Brussels today for the #Eurogroup meeting, where we discussed: 🔹 euro area policy priorities for 2026 🔹 the international role of the euro https://t.co/FAa7OvZiMt
Why Next Year Calls for Both Bullish and Bearish Views
Great conversation. We cover why to be bullish ... and bearish ... about the next 12 months.
Investors Buy Protection Despite Record VIX Short Positions
Does anyone have a good explanation for why equity skew shows investors are paying up for downside protection but also VIX futures are at near record shorts? Those seem to be contradictory. https://t.co/IWYZ9IHTYl
Warsh May Threaten Fed Stability Despite Doubtful Capability
Good piece. Warsh would be a fundamental break from the Bernanke, Yellen, and Powell Feds if he carried out his views. Do I think he’s capable of pulling that off? Not really. Do I think he might try to and...
Seeking Causes Behind Hedge Funds' Rising Leverage Beyond
Are there any other explanations for the multi-year vertical ascent in hedge fund gross leverage aside from a reduction in front end interest rates / funding costs? https://t.co/WkIt1xAlmd
China's Surplus Doesn't Directly Boost US Treasury Holdings
Two things are simultaneously true -- a) China's surplus doesn't automatically flow into its fx reserves and then into Treasuries and Agencies b) China's large ongoing surplus (+ the increase in fx assets of the state banks) cautions against using the...
Foreign Central Banks Sell USTs Even as Dollar Weakens
One of a number of potentially important macro divergences that occurred in 2H25 is shown below. For the prior 10+ years, foreign Central Banks sold USTs when the USD rose and bought USTs when the USD fell. In 2H25, foreign CB’s sold...