Indian DAP Stocks Fall Again in January
Indian DAP stocks slipped to just under 1.9 million tonnes in January, marking the fourth consecutive monthly draw. Imports plunged to 70,000 t while domestic production held steady at 342,000 t, and sales rose to 535,000 t, outpacing the three‑year average. Despite the short‑term draw, cumulative DAP stocks are up roughly 600,000 t year‑on‑year thanks to stronger imports earlier in the fertilizer year. Meanwhile, TSP imports surged 145% year‑on‑year, inflating TSP stocks by more than five‑fold.
Bharti Airtel Shares to Be in Focus After ₹20,000 Crore Capital Infusion in NBFC Arm Airtel Money
Bharti Airtel announced a ₹20,000 crore capital infusion into its non‑banking financial company arm, Airtel Money, to accelerate its digital finance push. The funding is expected to expand the company’s payments, credit and savings offerings across its telecom customer base. Following...
Thailand’s Hotel Reality Check: More Rooms, Tougher Competition
Thailand’s hotel sector is adding 43,067 rooms through 167 projects, with Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya leading the pipeline. While demand continues to recover, supply growth now exceeds demand in many periods, tightening occupancy and ADR prospects. Luxury developments such as...
Uganda to Link New Railway Line to Tanzania, Opening up New Export Route
Uganda announced plans to connect its new standard gauge railway to Tanzania’s under‑construction rail network. The line would run from the Tanzania border through southwestern Uganda to Mpondwe on the DRC frontier, linking mineral‑rich regions to the port of Dar...
Why Are Amphenol, Royal Caribbean, and Freeport Insiders Selling?
Insiders at Amphenol, Royal Caribbean, and Freeport‑McMoRan have sold multi‑million‑dollar stock positions despite recent price rallies. Amphenol CEO Adam Norwitt sold about $76 million after exercising options, yet retains roughly 2.8 million shares. Royal Caribbean executives collectively off‑loaded more than $168 million, including...
Cetera Affiliate Fined $200K By Finra Over Custodial Account Supervision Failures
Optiver and Virtu-Backed Optimal Market Technologies Options Execution Platform Launches
Optimal Market Technologies has launched a US listed options execution platform backed by Optiver, Virtu Financial, Akuna Capital and BSC Ventures. The FINRA‑approved broker‑dealer expects commercial availability later in Q1, initially serving retail options wholesalers, institutional broker‑dealers and large asset...
Stock Movers: Gilead Sciences, Merck, Domino's (Podcast)
On Feb 23, 2026, Gilead Sciences announced a cash deal to acquire biotech Arcellx for up to $7.8 billion, aiming to broaden its oncology portfolio. Merck & Co. is reportedly preparing to split its pharmaceutical division into separate cancer and non‑cancer units ahead...
PGAV Establishes Strategic Global Presence Led by John Kasman
PGAV, a leading destination‑design firm, is establishing a dedicated international hub in Abu Dhabi to serve the fast‑growing immersive tourism markets of the Middle East and China. The expansion, overseen by principal John Kasman, builds on longstanding client relationships and...
Domino's Gained More Market Share Last Year
Domino’s reported a stronger‑than‑expected 2025, with U.S. same‑store sales climbing 3.7% and a one‑point gain in market share that lifted its pizza‑category share to 30%. The earnings beat sent the stock up about 5% in pre‑market trading. The company added...
The Long Telegram Just Turned 80. Our Times Demand a New One.
The Atlantic Council’s Frederick Kempe marks the 80th anniversary of George Kennan’s Long Telegram, arguing that today’s geopolitical turbulence demands a comparable strategic blueprint. He highlights a simultaneous great‑power contest involving Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s assertiveness around Taiwan, and an...
Renewed Sense of Confidence Feeds Through Into eBay Q4 2025 Earnings
eBay reported a full‑year GMV of roughly $80 billion, up 6% globally and nearly 10% in the United States, marking a return to double‑digit growth. Focus categories such as fashion and refurbished tech drove over 12% GMV expansion and now account...
Global Parametrics Highlights How Parametric Products & Cat Bonds Can Scale Humanitarian Risk Financing
Global Parametrics’ new whitepaper argues that catastrophe bonds and parametric insurance can help bridge the widening humanitarian financing gap, which stands at roughly 36% of the projected $50 billion need in 2024. The report highlights that multi‑year cat bonds can unlock...
Stock Market Week 08/26: RENIXX Stable Above 1,200 Points - Year-to-Date Gain Climbs to 10.2% - Solaredge: Higher Revenue, Reduced...
The RENIXX renewable‑energy index stayed above the 1,200‑point psychological level last week, posting a 10.2% gain year‑to‑date. Weekly leaders were solar‑focused firms such as First Solar (+10.1%) and Solaredge (+7.2%), while Meridian Energy and others fell. Solaredge reported a 71%...
Debt Restructuring Is Senegal’s Best Bet
Senegal’s public debt has surged to roughly 132% of GDP, placing the country in a severe fiscal bind. With limited access to cheap financing, the government faces a stark choice between costly debt service and a structured debt‑restructuring process. Analysts...
Asian Stocks Rally After Trump’s Supreme Court Tariffs Blow
The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated most of President Trump’s tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, delivering a sharp policy reversal. Asian equity markets responded positively, with technology and e‑commerce stocks leading gains and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng up...
PSEi Climbs to 6,488 as Earnings Lift Market Sentiment
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose to 6,488.51, gaining 0.36% as earnings releases spurred buying in industrial, mining and oil stocks. Turnover hovered around P6.12 billion, reflecting measured participation despite subdued volume from global tariff worries. Market breadth stayed positive with...
Today Only: Up To 4x Bonus Airline Miles On Apple Purchases
Apple shoppers can earn a limited‑time boost of 3.5‑ to 4‑times airline miles per dollar through four major airline shopping portals. The promotion runs on February 23 2026 and applies to most Apple products except flagship iPhones, Vision Pro, and several accessories. Alaska...
GSMA Launches Innovation Fund to Accelerate Green Transition Through Mobile Technology
The GSMA has launched a global Innovation Fund offering £100,000‑£200,000 grants to small and growing enterprises that use mobile and digital technologies to accelerate the green transition in low‑ and middle‑income countries. The fund targets solutions that expand clean‑energy access,...
Dollar 2026 Decline: More Cyclical than Structural
The dollar’s recent slide is viewed as a cyclical correction rather than a structural collapse, with the real trade‑weighted index still well above its long‑term average. Hedging activity is rising, with buy‑side hedge ratios projected to reach roughly 74% by...
How Ukraine’s Economy Has Defied the Odds
Ukraine’s economy has rebounded to near pre‑war GDP levels thanks to disciplined fiscal policy, heightened defense spending, and sustained international aid. Restored air and sea corridors revived export channels, while targeted infrastructure grants offset war‑induced fiscal gaps. The government’s focus...
LGT Reinsurer Lumen Re Secures $175m of Retro From Debut Photon Re 2026-1 Cat Bond
Lumen Re, the reinsurance arm of LGT ILS Partners, completed its debut Photon Re Series 2026‑1 catastrophe bond, locking in $175 million of fully‑collateralized retrocession protection against North American peak perils. The issuance was priced below the original guidance, with the...
Hedge Funds Sold Most Global Equities Since April, Goldman Says
Taiex Sees Gains Limited Amid Renewed Concerns over U.S. Tariff Policies
Taiwan's Taiex index closed modestly higher on Feb. 23, up 0.5% to 33,773 points, as investors weighed renewed U.S. tariff concerns following President Trump’s new global duties. The market’s early surge, driven by electronics, was trimmed by profit‑taking in TSMC,...
A 25-Basis-Point Decline in the Mortgage Rate Prices-In 1.42 Million Households
A 25‑basis‑point (0.25 percentage‑point) drop in mortgage rates could make monthly payments affordable for an estimated 1.42 million additional households, expanding the pool of qualified borrowers. Simultaneously, incorporating the lower operating costs of energy‑efficient homes into underwriting can deliver an equivalent 75‑basis‑point...
Morgan Stanley IM Is Hunting For AI-Proof Assets
Royal Caribbean Is Cruising Toward a New All-Time High
Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) has delivered a near‑10% year‑to‑date stock gain, positioning the $84 billion cruise leader for another all‑time high. Under its Perfecta plan, the company is on track for a 20% annualized EPS growth target, posting double‑digit increases each...
Geneva Dry Dialogues: European Energy Exchange
Geneva Dry 2026, the premier dry‑bulk shipping conference, is set for April 28‑29 in Lausanne with up to 900 delegates and 51 sponsors. European Energy Exchange (EEX) head Peter Blogg warned that geopolitical turbulence makes short‑term forecasts difficult, underscoring the...
Egypt's Bid to Anchor a Cairo to Cape Town African Trade Highway
In November 2025 Egypt’s deputy transport minister reported that roughly 80% of the Cairo‑to‑Cape Town trans‑African highway is finished, positioning Egypt as the north‑south anchor of the corridor. The project, part of the African Union’s Trans‑African Highway network, is funded...
Rupee Support Tool Turns Pressure Point; $7 Billion NDF Maturities Come Due
The Reserve Bank of India relies on non‑deliverable forwards (NDFs) to support the rupee without draining reserves, but $7 billion of contracts are set to mature this week, creating rollover pressure. RBI’s total forward book stands at $62.3 billion, a size that...
Private Equity's Dry Spell Now Worse Than 2008 Crisis, Bain Says
UK Plans to Cut Carbon Costs for Refineries After Closures
The UK government is preparing to incorporate oil refining into its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to shield the remaining domestic refineries from escalating carbon costs. A call for evidence will feed into the Future of Fuels strategy, slated for...
What Now for Asia After Trump's Tariffs Struck Down?
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the majority of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in 2025 were illegal, prompting the administration to replace them with a uniform 15% levy on all goods entering the United States. Customs officials halted...
15-Year-Old VLCC Values Jump 57% Year-on-Year as Sinokor Linked to Teekay Exit
Teekay Tankers sold its 15‑year‑old VLCC Singapore Spirit for $84.5 million, a deal widely linked to Korean buyer Sinokor. Recent disposals by CMB.TECH of similar‑aged vessels also point to Sinokor’s aggressive purchasing pattern, with the firm tied to over 40 VLCC...
Too Soon to Comment on US Tariff Change Impact on India, Says FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it is too early for India to assess the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Trump‑era global tariffs, as the commerce ministry continues its review. She also urged banks to refocus on core...
Why 2026 Could See Mainstream Adoption of Prediction Markets
Prediction markets have evolved from niche mood indicators to liquid platforms handling billions in weekly turnover. Asset managers are increasingly viewing them as direct hedges for event risk that traditional derivatives cannot cover. Regulatory clarity, exemplified by CFTC approval of...
Unpacking African Markets in the Era of Global Volatility
The Africa Markets Conference 2026 (AMC26) opened in Cape Town, hosted by Standard Bank, to examine how heightened global volatility—particularly U.S. Trump‑era tariffs—affects the continent. Organisers aim to channel private and sovereign capital into African infrastructure and growth sectors amid...
Grey Launches ‘Grey Business’ to Simplify Global Payments for African Startups and SMEs
Grey, a global fintech, launched Grey Business, a multi‑currency payments platform for African startups and SMEs. The service lets companies open USD corporate accounts, send and receive global payments, and convert currencies instantly at real‑time rates, also supporting USDC and...
China’s Missile Reach Forcing US Pacific Air Power Reset
China’s expanding missile and surveillance capabilities are turning U.S. forward airbases in the Pacific into high‑value targets, prompting the Air Force to abandon its Cold‑War‑era expeditionary model. A Hudson Institute report warns that without a three‑tiered “Edge‑Force, Pulsed‑Force, Core‑Force” redesign,...
Exosens Exceeds 2025 Guidance, Driven by Strong Defense Momentum in Night Vision and Digital Imaging; New Mid-Term Outlook: Accelerating Our...
Exosens reported 2025 results that beat its guidance, posting €468.2 m revenue, a 22% year‑on‑year increase, and net profit that more than doubled to €42.7 m. Growth was powered by a surge in Defense night‑vision sales, highlighted by a €500 m contract with...
Nobu Hospitality to Debut Hotel and Private Island Residences in Maldives
Nobu Hospitality, in partnership with Sarat International, is launching its first Maldives property on the private island of Munyafushi in Laamu Atoll. The mixed‑use development will feature 26 beach villas, 30 overwater villas, and a collection of ten standalone Island...
SPX Skew Steepens to 1Y High as Tariff Uncertainty Rises
Cboe’s Macro Volatility Digest shows SPX 1‑month options skew climbing to its highest level in a year. The steepening reflects heightened uncertainty from evolving U.S. tariff policy, geopolitical tensions and lingering AI concerns, while oil volatility spiked to 52%. Equity...
SPX Skew Steepens to 1Y High as Tariff Uncertainty Rises
The Cboe report shows the S&P 500 1‑month skew surged to a one‑year high, reflecting heightened demand for downside protection as tariff policy uncertainty intensifies. Oil implied volatility spiked to 52% after fears of a US‑Iran conflict, while equity and rates...
CHY: Well-Supported 10% Dividend Yield
Calamos Convertible & High Income Fund (CHY) trades near fair value while delivering a roughly 10 % distribution yield. Earnings consistently exceed the cash paid out, supporting NAV growth despite negative net investment income. The fund’s portfolio—about 69 % convertibles and 23 %...
Study Shows AI Skills Gap in Singapore Malaysia
Epitome Global’s latest workforce study reveals that only one in five professionals in Singapore and Malaysia demonstrate AI‑ready traits such as persistence, curiosity and reflective learning. While more than 70% claim advanced digital literacy, 56% rate their decision‑making and 42%...
CaoCao Robotaxi Fleet Reaches 100 Vehicles
Chinese mobility firm CaoCao Inc. announced that its robotaxi fleet in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District has reached 100 vehicles, supported by its Green Intelligent Mobility Hub. The company is moving from safety‑driver‑assisted rides to fully driverless operations while trialing mixed fleets,...
Last Week’s Trades Point to Firmer Markets: CGX
Clear Grain Exchange (CGX) reported a more balanced grain demand last week, with wheat and barley each accounting for 34% of trades, a sharp shift from wheat‑dominated activity the week before. Canola represented 15% of transactions while pulses and other...
Stifel Mismanaged Employees' 401(k), Lawsuit Says
Stifel Financial Corp. is being sued in a class‑action case alleging that the firm mismanaged its employee 401(k) plan for years. The lawsuit claims thousands of workers lost tens of millions of dollars in retirement savings due to the alleged...
EPU: A Beneficiary Of Peru's Solid GDP Growth And High Commodity Prices
The iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF (EPU) has delivered double‑digit returns in 2026, extending the strong performance it posted in 2025. Its trailing price‑to‑earnings ratio sits at 20.83×, still cheaper than the S&P 500, reflecting a higher cyclical tilt....
Consortia Secure First Philippine Offshore Wind Grid Deals
A consortium led by Seawind Asia, Stream Invest and Triconti ECC Renewables has secured the Philippines’ first offshore wind grid connection agreements. The deals cover three projects—450 MW Frontera Bay, 600 MW Guimaras Strait and 600 MW Guimaras Strait II—totaling 1.65 GW of potential capacity....