Latest News
-
Sources say that Thyssenkrupp is considering a phased sale to Jindal Steel International of TKSE.
Four people familiar with the discussions said that Germany's Thyssenkrupp might sell its steel division in several stages to India's Jindal Steel International, as both sides attempt to reach a deal for this complex business. Jindal Steel is conducting due diligence on Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (TKSE) after submitting an indicative bid to acquire Europe's second largest steelmaker. Thyssenkrupp needs to focus on becoming leaner by acquiring the deal. The people who spoke to us said that Jindal would take a majority share in TKSE in a first move, most likely 60%. The remaining 40% could be acquired in two 20% tranches, or all at once, depending on the progress of restructuring. One person said that a phased transaction could give Thyssenkrupp greater flexibility in addressing the 2.5 billion euro ($2.9 billion) pension liabilities associated with TKSE – a major obstacle in 'previous sales attempts. The details of a possible gradual takeover and its impact on the debt obligations were not previously reported. The people stated that due diligence was ongoing and the terms may still change. JINDAL STEEL ?DELEGATION SET FOR JANUARY VISIT ?TO GERMANY The sale of TKSE will end years of trying to find a buyer. This asset, which is central to Germany's industry heritage, was volatile and expensive to operate in the face of tougher Asian competition. Jindal Steel International (the international steel arm of Naveen Jindal Group) would be able to expand into Europe, after purchasing smaller Czech competitor Vitkovice Steel in 2024. Thyssenkrupp stated in a press release that during the due diligence process and any contract negotiations, all aspects of the deal - such as valuation, obligations, and future investments – would be discussed. It said: "We can't comment on individual statements at this time, as they are only interim in nature." Jindal Steel International ?had no immediate comment. After a December trip had been postponed, a second source confirmed that a Jindal delegaion was to visit Germany for a technical inspection of?TKSE’s Duisburg facility in January. Third source: A phased takeover?would also keep Thyssenkrupp in the TKSE restructuring. Thyssenkrupp's CEO Miguel Lopez stated last month that Jindal Steel would be a good fit for TKSE. He added that a sweeping restructuring to reduce jobs and capacity was what prompted the Indian group’s interest. Lopez, without providing details, said that Thyssenkrupp had a backup plan in case the talks with Jindal Steel International failed.
-
Berkshire Hathaway increases new CEO Abel’s salary to $25 Million
Berkshire Hathaway announced on Tuesday that it had raised the salary for?new chief executive Greg Abel, to $25 million. This is a far greater salary than the $100,000 per year salary that his predecessor Warren Buffett received for over four decades. Abel, who is 63 years old, was appointed chief executive of Berkshire on January 1 after eight years in the role of vice chairman, overseeing Berkshire’s non-insurance business. Buffett set his compensation during this period. It included a $21 million salary in 2020, a $ 20 million salary in 2030, and a $15 million salary plus a bonus of $3 million in 2022. Buffett gave Vice Chairman Ajit Jain, who oversees Berkshire Insurance's businesses, the same amounts between?2022 and 2024. The compensation of Abel and Jain for 2025 is not known. Buffett, 95 years old, has been running Omaha-based Berkshire, Berkshire, for over 60 years. He turned it into a conglomerate worth more than $1 trillion, with over?200 companies, including Geico auto insurance, BNSF railroad, and a variety of?insurances, energy, manufacturing, and retail operations. Buffett is still the chairman of Berkshire and one of the richest men in the world. Berkshire said that during his tenure, its executive compensation program was "different" than that of most public companies. Abel owns approximately $171 million in Berkshire stock. In 2022, he sold his 1% share in Berkshire Hathaway Energy to Berkshire Hathaway for $870 millions.
-
Dollar edged up slightly as investors awaited economic news
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, European shares and other major stock indexes rose to record highs on the Tuesday while the dollar grew as investors focused their attention on important market data that could gauge Federal Reserve policy. Investors weighed the uncertainty surrounding Venezuelan crude production against expectations of an 'ample global supply' this year. Maria Corina Machado has promised to return to Venezuela as soon as possible, hailing U.S. president Donald Trump for toppling Nicolas Maduro and declaring that her movement is ready to win an election free of corruption. The White House announced on Tuesday that Trump, his team and other officials are discussing the options to acquire Greenland. The use of U.S. forces in achieving this goal is always an option. "The market's response to the geopolitical?situation in Venezuela was well taken. But (reports) that the White House thought about taking Greenland by force... could cause some roadblocks," said Peter Cardillo. The momentum in the market continues to grow. He said it was largely due to a January effect, which is a pattern of early-year stock buying. He added that if the labor data this week are weaker than expected it could increase expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts. Stock Indices Climb Chip stocks on Wall Street rose as artificial intelligence optimism returned. Exxon Mobil shares fell 3.4% on the day. Investors bet that Washington would allow U.S. companies access to Venezuelan oil reserves after the raid in Venezuela on Monday. Trump's administration will meet with executives of oil companies to discuss increasing production in Venezuela later this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 484.90 points or 0.99% to 49,462.08, while the S&P 500 gained 42.77 points or 0.62% to 6,944.82, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 151.35 or 0.65% to 23,547.17. The MSCI index of global stocks was up 7.13 points or 0.69% at 1,035.15, and hit a new high during the session. The pan-European STOXX 600 index finished up 0.58%, and reached a new record high. The indexes of Germany and Spain reached record highs as investors were confident about the economy despite increasing geopolitical tensions. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket?of currencies including the yen, the euro and others) rose by 0.17%, reaching 98.56. U.S. ECONOMIC DATA TO SET MARKET TONE Markets were buoyed by expectations of U.S. rate cuts. The market was focused on the U.S. employment report due Friday. This will affect the monetary policy expectations of the market. According to LSEG, financial markets are pricing two Fed rate reductions this year. Fed Governor Stephen Miran's term as the U.S. Central Bank ends this month. He said that aggressive interest rate reductions are necessary to keep the U.S. economy moving. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10 year notes increased 1.2 basis points from 4.163% at late Monday. U.S. crude oil fell $1.19, settling at $57.13 per barrel. Brent crude dropped $1.06, settling at $60.70. Gold fell slightly in the last session after a sharp rise in the previous session. Spot gold dropped 0.12% to $4491.77 per ounce. Nickel jumped more than 9% and copper jumped to a new all-time peak, as concerns about supply fueled a rally early in the year for industrial metals.
-
Investors await economic news to see if stocks will rise or dollar edge up.
The dollar edged up as investors focused their attention on important market data that will be released later this week to help gauge Federal Reserve policy. Oil ?prices declined. Investors were monitoring developments in Venezuela. Maria Corina Machado has promised to return to Venezuela quickly. She praised U.S. president Donald Trump for toppling Nicolas Maduro and declared her movement prepared to win a fair election. Trump's administration will meet with executives of oil companies this week to discuss increasing production in Venezuela. There's a great deal of retooling needed to prepare these downstream producers for this crude oil. It is possible - and it will probably be. Mark Malek is chief investment officer of Siebert Financial. He said that the biggest questions are how long it will take to invest, how much money, and who will make this investment. Stock Indices Climb Investors were betting that Washington would allow U.S. companies access to Venezuelan oil reserves. The Dow reached a new record, and?chip stocks rose due to renewed optimism about artificial intelligence. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 526.20, or 1.07 percent, to 49.503.38, while the S&P 500 gained 45.15, or 0.65% to 6,947.20, and the Nasdaq Composite increased by 147.73, or 0.63% to 23,543.50. The MSCI index of global stocks rose by 7.36 points or 0.72% to 1,035.38. The STOXX 600 pan-European index finished up by 0.58%. Investors remain confident about the economy despite increasing geopolitical tensions. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket including the yen, the euro and other currencies) rose by 0.17%, reaching 98.56. U.S. ECONOMIC DATA TO SET MARKET TONE Expectations of U.S. rate cuts drove the positive mood on the?markets. The traders were focusing on the U.S. employment report due Friday. This will affect market expectations for monetary policy. According to LSEG, financial markets are pricing two Fed rate reductions this year. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year note rose 1.2 basis point to 4,175% from 4,163% on Monday. U.S. crude oil fell $1.19, settling at $57.13 per barrel. Brent oil declined $1.06, settling at $60.70. Gold prices rose on Tuesday as demand for safe-haven assets boosted the price. After a near 3% rise in the previous session, spot gold increased by 0.86% to $4,486.57 per ounce. Nickel jumped more than 9% and copper soared above its 18-month high as concerns about supply fueled a rally early in the year for industrial metals.
-
Brazil's trade surplus will be higher in 2026 than its own projections, after exceeding them last year
The Ministry of Development Industry Trade and Services announced on Tuesday that Brazil is expecting a trade surplus between $70 billion and $90 billion by?2026. Last year's results exceeded government expectations. Latin America's biggest economy posted a $68.3-billion surplus in 2025. This is down from $74.2-billion in 2024, as imports increased faster than exports. This shows the resilience of the economy, despite high borrowing rates to control inflation. The surplus was higher than the most recent estimate of $61 billion by the Ministry. It followed a December surplus of $9.6 Billion. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said at a press briefing that he was "optimistic" about the growth of foreign trade, even if there were greater geopolitical instabilities. BRAZIL HOPEFUL FOR TRADE DEALS Alckmin who is also the head of the ministry said that the 'government' remains hopeful about concluding a deal between Mercosur, the South American block, and the European Union. He added that he expects Mercosur to seal a free-trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Brazil is aiming to extend preferential tariffs with India, Mexico and Canada. Imports increased 6.7% last year while exports rose by 3.5%. This was despite the fact that U.S. tariffs were imposed on several products, which were later partially reversed. Alckmin also said that Brazil expects to progress talks with the U.S., and address non-tariff concerns involving rare Earths, big technology and data centers. He said that Brazil had abundant renewable energy. Alckmin was asked about the impact of Venezuelan oil production following the capture by the U.S. of Venezuela's president. He acknowledged that oil is Brazil's number one export but said any market effects would not be immediately. He said that although Venezuela has large oil deposits, it is not possible to achieve anything overnight. "Investment is required," he added. By the Numbers Brazilian export gains in 2025 were largely driven by increased shipments of beef, soybeans, corn, and coffee, which offset annual declines for crude oil?and iron ore due to falling commodity prices. China remains Brazil's largest trading partner. Exports to China increased by 6%, reaching $100 billion. This represents nearly 30% of Brazil's total sales overseas. Brazilian exports to the United States fell 6.6%, to $37.7billion. (Reporting and editing by Franklin Paul, Matthew Lewis and Rod Nickel in Brasilia)
-
As geopolitical risk increases, gold prices are on the verge of a record high.
Gold extended gains on Tuesday, boosted by demand for safe-haven assets after the 'U.S. The?capture' of Venezuela's President fueled global tensions. Investors awaited U.S. Payroll data to gain insight into the Federal Reserve interest rate policy. By 01:40 pm, spot gold had risen 0.8% to $4,485.39 an ounce. ET (1840 GMT), following a nearly 3-percent gain in the previous day, prices are now closer to the record high $4,549.71 set on December 24. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery settled?1% higher, at $4496.010. Jim Wyckoff is a senior analyst with Kitco Metals. He said that precious metals traders are more concerned about the future than bond and stock traders. The weekend U.S. attack on Venezuela has also fueled the demand for safe havens like gold and silver. After the U.S. had seized Maduro and taken him to New York at the weekend, the ousted Venezuelan president pleaded 'not guilty' to charges of narcotics. The gold price, which is considered to be a safe haven by many, rose 64.4% in the last year. This was its best performance since 1979. The market participants will also be looking at Friday's U.S. employment report. It is expected to show that 60,000 new jobs were added in December, a slight decrease from the 64,000 created in November. According to LSEG, traders are pricing in at least two Federal Reserve rate reductions this year. Tom Barkin, the Richmond Fed president, said that future rate changes need to be "finely-tuned" in order to balance both unemployment and inflation risks. Low interest rates tend to be beneficial for non-yielding metals. Morgan Stanley predicted that gold prices would surge to $4800 by the fourth quarter of this calendar year. They cited falling interest rates, changes in Federal Reserve leadership, and central bank and funds purchases. Spot silver, whose all-time record high was $83.62 per ounce on December 29, gained 5.4%, to $80.68. Silver's annual gain was 147% in 2025. This was due to a rise in industrial demand and investor interest. Palladium was 5.9% higher, at $1,821.68 an ounce. Spot platinum rose 7.2% to $2,435.20. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier, Vijay Kishore, and Anmol Choubey from Bengaluru)
-
Futures prices for soybeans and grains are rising as China purchases more US supplies
Chicago Board of Trade Soybean futures rose slightly on Tuesday, as China purchased more U.S. soybeans. The corn and wheat futures both rose slightly as the agricultural markets continued to gain after recovering?on Monday? from recent multi-week?lows. Traders were watching closely the?Chinese?demand for U.S. soybeans after Washington announced in late October Beijing's agreement to purchase supplies as part a truce between the two countries in their trade war. Three traders said that China's stockpiler Sinograin bought 10 U.S. soy cargoes this week, totaling around 600,000 tons. U.S. Department?Agriculture confirmed later that exporters had sold 336,000 metric tonnes of U.S. soya beans to China for delivery in 2025/2026. Traders said China's total U.S. soya purchases have risen to 10 million tons in the time since the trade truce. This is more than 80% of the 12 million metric tonnes that U.S. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent had previously stated China would buy by the end?of February. Jim Gerlach of A/C Trading, Indiana, stated that some traders feared Beijing would stop buying after the U.S. captured Venezuela's president, a Chinese strategic partner. Gerlach stated that "the fact that they purchased beans despite the goings on is supportive." The most active CBOT soybean contracts were up a cent to $10.63 per bushel at 11:30 am CST (1730 GMT). The benchmark contract reached its lowest level in October on Friday. CBOT Corn rose by 2 cents to $4.46-1/2 per bushel. CBOT Wheat gained 1/2 cent to $5.13 per bushel. On Friday, wheat reached its lowest level since October. Corn hit a 2-week low on Monday and then turned higher. Gerlach stated that the fear of dry weather damaging corn crops in Argentina was a factor in driving prices. Analysts kept an eye out for dryness in the U.S. wheat belts. Josh Lawrence, an advisor consultant at IKON Commodities, said that "pockets of dryness" in the U.S. Plains supported wheat. The gains were still limited due to the abundance of supplies from major exporting nations. Grain traders also watched investor flows, which are linked to changes in commodity indexes and were looking forward to the crop data that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is due to release next Monday.
-
As geopolitical risk increases, gold prices are on the verge of a record high.
Gold extended gains on Tuesday due to the demand for safe-haven assets after 'the U.S. The capture of Venezuelan president fuelled global tensions. Investors awaited U.S. employment data to gain insight into Federal Reserve interest rate policy. By 11:50 am, spot gold had risen 0.9% to $4,488.10 an ounce. After a near 3% increase in the previous session at 1650 GMT, prices are now closer to the record high price of $4,497.11 set on December 24. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery advanced by?1% to $4496. Jim Wyckoff is a senior analyst with Kitco Metals. He said that precious metals traders are more concerned about the future than bond and stock traders. The weekend U.S. attack on Venezuela fueled the demand for safe havens like gold and silver. After the U.S. had seized Maduro and taken him to New York at the weekend, the ousted Venezuelan president pleaded not guilt?on Monday? to narcotics? charges. The gold price, which is considered to be a safe haven by many, rose 64.4% in the last year. This was its best performance since 1979. The market participants will also be watching Friday's U.S. employment report. It is expected to show that 60,000 new jobs were added in December. This is a slight decrease from the 64,000 jobs added the previous month. According to LSEG, traders are pricing in at least two Federal Reserve rate reductions this year. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin said that future rate changes need to be "finely-tuned" in order to balance both unemployment and inflation risks. Low interest rates tend to be beneficial for non-yielding metals. Morgan Stanley predicted that gold prices would surge to $4800 by the fourth quarter of this calendar year. They cited falling interest rates, changes in Federal Reserve leadership, and central bank and funds purchases. Spot silver, whose all-time record high was $83.62 per ounce on December 29, gained 5.3% to $80.57. Silver's annual gain was 147% in 2025. This was due to a rise in industrial demand and investor interest. Palladium was 6.3% higher, at $1,815 an ounce. Spot platinum rose 6.5% to $2,417.70. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier, Vijay Kishore and Anmol Choubey from Bengaluru)
Investors assess Venezuela's upheaval by assessing the oil price, stocks and bonds.
On Monday, oil prices fell and bonds yields increased as investors assessed the possible repercussions from the U.S. Capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. STOXX, a benchmark index for Europe's largest companies, rose 0.5%. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan climbed 1.3% to a new record high. U.S. Futures like S&P 500 e-minis also gained 0.2% before a week packed with economic data. U.S. president Donald Trump announced that after the events of the weekend in Venezuela, he would temporarily take control of the South American country. He also said that he might order another strike "if Venezuela doesn't cooperate" with U.S. efforts for it to open its oil industry and end drug trafficking. He also threatened to take'military action' in Colombia and Mexico.
Neil Shearing, Capital Economics, said that the removal of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro from office by the U.S. would not have any significant economic effects on the global economy in the near future. But its geopolitical and political ramifications are sure to reverberate. The oil prices fluctuated as the OPEC+ decision to maintain output remained unchanged was countered by concerns about market disruptions due to events in Venezuela, which produces oil. Brent crude futures last fell 0.8% at $60.26 per barrel.
After the U.S. strikes on Syria, new concerns about geopolitical risk sparked by the U.S. military strike, defence stocks led to?gains' in Europe.
The index of defense shares rose by 2.7%, reaching its highest level in two months.
Vasu Menon, OCBC Singapore, said: "Given that the Venezuelan events over the weekend were unexpected, it is yet to be seen if the Trump administration wants more regime changes."
"Strategic calculations are taking place against a backdrop of mid-term elections, and the developments are unpredictable." This uncertainty may keep oil prices high. "A more volatile geopolitical climate may boost haven assets such as precious metals."
US MILITARY MEASURES IMPLEMENT SAFE-HAVEN REQUEST
Gold prices rose on Monday, with spot price up 2.33% to $4,430 per ounce. However, they are still below the record high set last year of $4,549.71.
The yield on Germany's 10-year Bund, the benchmark for the eurozone, was also essentially unchanged at 2.893%. It had risen by 3 basis points in the previous week. The yield on U.S. 10 year?Treasury Bonds held steady at 4,173%.
The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures dollar strength against six different currencies, rose 0.13% to 98.685 at the end of last day, extending recent gains for a sixth straight day. The dollar was unchanged against the yen at 156.79yen. Kazuo Ueda, Governor of the Bank of Japan, said that after increasing rates by 25 basis points last month to 0.75%, they will continue to do so if economic and prices developments are in line with their forecast.
Bitcoin rose 1.2% to $92,327.40. Ether was up 0.4% to $3,154.62. (Reporting and editing by David Gooding, Gregor Stuart Hunter, and Lawrence White)
(source: Reuters)