Latest News
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Wall Street Journal, May 20,
These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch their accuracy. TXNM Energy, a utility firm, announced that it will be acquired by Blackstone's infrastructure unit in a deal worth $11.5 billion. Cantor Fitzgerald, a Wall Street firm, said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick had agreed to transfer his stake to his children and to a group investors. He also divested assets from two subsidiaries in compliance with his U.S. Government ethics agreement. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced that it would purchase 23andMe Holding, a genomics company, for $256M through a bankruptcy sale. The company also promised to prioritise the ethical use DNA data collected from customers who have used ancestry tests and other services. Wendy McMahon will step down as president and CEO at Paramount Global’s CBS News. She told her staff that the company and she have different views about the future. Paramount Group. A major office landlord in New York City and San Francisco is looking at strategic alternatives, including the sale of its company. Equinor of Norway, the developer of the project, announced that the Trump administration had lifted a stop-work order from a month ago on a major off-shore wind facility planned near the coasts New York and New Jersey.
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Australia's opposition coalition is split after losing the election
After a crushing defeat in a recent national election, Australia's National Party split with its conservative coalition partner, the Liberal Party. The National Party cited policy differences on renewable energy. David Littleproud, the Nationals' leader, told reporters Tuesday that it was time for a break. The split shows how the conservative parties in Australia are under pressure after Anthony Albanese’s centre-left Labor Party won an historic second term at the May 3 elections, fueled by voter anger against Donald Trump’s policies. The Liberal-National coalition, which has been in power for many years, had a long-standing partnership with state and federal governments. They shared the government's power, and the Nationals represented the rural interests and the Liberals the city seats. Littleproud, citing differences in policy, said: "We won't be reentering a Coalition Agreement with the Liberal Party following this election." Sussan Lee, the new leader of the Liberal Party, was appointed last week and had promised to review all policies following the loss in the elections. Labor's tally increased to 94 seats from 77 and it registered its largest ever majority in an Australian elections. The National Party held on to 15 seats. Independents who support gender equality and climate change won key seats in the city from the Liberal Party. Ley is a former outback-pilot with three finance degrees. She was elected the first woman leader of the party after Peter Dutton, the opposition leader, lost his seat at the election. Littleproud said, "She's a leader who needs to rebuild her party. They are on a rediscovery journey and this will give them the chance to do that." He said that the Nationals would "keep the door open" to more coalition talks until the next election. However, they would still defend the rural Australians' interests. Ley had not committed to continue the policy of her party that was adopted at the last election, which supported the introduction of nuclear energy. The Nationals also wanted to crack down on the market dominance of Australia's major supermarkets and improve telecommunications for the outback. Australia is the country with the largest uranium reserve in world, but it bans nuclear power. Littleproud stated that nuclear power is needed as Australia's shift from coal to "renewables" only under the Labor Government was not reliable. He said that wind farm turbines are "tearing up our landscape and destroying your food security". Michael Guerin said that the urban-rural divide is getting worse. He represents farmers in Queensland. He said that the Liberals and Nationals both needed to rebuild. Jim Chalmers, Labor Party Treasurer, said that the split within the opposition is a "nuclear meltingdown" and the Liberals will have a presence in parliament "barely larger" than a cross-bench consisting of 12 independents or minor parties. Reporting by Renju José, Kirsty Neeham and Peter Hobson from Sydney; Editing and production by Tom Hogue and Raju Gopikrishnan
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Australia's central Bank cuts rates to a 2-year low of 3,85%
The central bank of Australia cut its cash rate on Tuesday by 25 basis points, to a new two-year low. It cited a bleaker global outlook as well as a cooling in domestic inflation. However, it remained cautious about further easing. The Australian dollar dropped 0.4% to $0.6429. Three-year bond futures increased 2 ticks to $96.37. Swaps suggest a total of 57 basis point easing by the end the year. The Reserve Bank of Australia concluded a two-day meeting by stating that the risks of inflation rising had decreased, while the international economy was expected to be affected by the developments abroad. The markets had already priced in an easing, given the slowdown of inflation at home as well as a darker outlook for global trade following the announcement last month of U.S. import tariffs. The board stated that "Inflation has fallen into the target range and downside risks have decreased as the international economy is expected to be impacted by the developments." The board believes that this will reduce the restrictions on monetary policy. The board is still cautious about the future. In the first quarter, headline consumer price inflation was unchanged at 2.4%. A key measure of core inflation (the trimmed average) slowed down to 2.9% and returned to the RBA target range of 2%-3% for the very first time since the end of 2021. The global landscape has dramatically changed since the RBA's last meeting in April. The global trade war of U.S. president Donald Trump has upset financial markets and disrupted business plans. Trump has imposed blanket import duties of 10% on the rest the world. After a tariff showdown that threatened global recession, Trump and China agreed to reduce the high duties placed on their goods for 90-days. Australia exports a lot of resources to China. Tariffs on China's economy, the second largest in the world, could slow down its growth and reduce demand for commodities like iron ore. The data flow has been mixed at home. Consumer spending is not rebounding as expected. The labour market remained strong, though, and the unemployment rate stayed low at 4,1%, where it has been for more than a year. The first quarter saw a rise in wages, but this was mainly due to increases in government salaries and shouldn't lead to a spiral of rising prices. The RBA said on Tuesday that global trade tensions would have a cascading effect, resulting in lower inflation and higher unemployment. This was even if interest rates were not cut as much as the markets had expected.
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Gold prices fall as optimism about a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine reduces demand for safe-haven gold.
The gold price fell on Tuesday as the slightly stronger dollar and optimism about a possible ceasefire between Russia, Ukraine and Ukraine dampened investor interest in safe-haven assets. As of 0427 GMT, spot gold was down by 0.5%, at $3,213.35 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures fell 0.6% to $3215.50. Dollars have recovered slightly after hitting a low of more than a week in the previous session. This makes gold priced in greenbacks less attractive to those who hold other currencies. Kyle Rodda, financial analyst at Capital.com, said that the initial shock of the U.S. downgrade has worn off. There is some hope for a truce to be reached between Ukraine and Russia. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, spoke to President Vladimir Putin Monday. He said that Russia and Ukraine would immediately begin negotiations towards a ceasefire. We are seeing buyers emerge when the price dips below $3200. "I think we're due for a larger pullback, particularly if geopolitical risk is further eased and we start to see yields rising from the U.S. fiscal policies." Rodda continued. Gold, considered to be a safe investment amid geopolitical uncertainties and economic uncertainty, has reached multiple records this year. It is up by about 22% this year. U.S. Federal Reserve officials reacted cautiously to the implications of the latest downgrade in the U.S. Government's credit rating, and the unsettled markets conditions on Monday as they navigated a very uncertain economy. Moody's downgraded the United States' credit rating from "Aaa to "Aa1 on Friday, citing "significantly higher debt and interest rates than similar rated sovereigns". Later in the day several Fed officials will be speaking, which could provide further insight into the economy and central bank policy. The markets are currently pricing in a rate cut of at least 54 basis point this year. Spot silver dropped 0.6% to $22.17 per ounce. Platinum remained at $998.04, and palladium fell 0.3% to $971.84.
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Norway Opens Bidding Round for Three Floating Wind Areas
The Norwegian government has launched a bidding process for three floating wind project locations at Utsira Nord area.The awarding of project areas for offshore wind and state aid will take place in two stages, with a maturation phase in between.In the first stage, three project areas will be awarded to the developers who score the highest in a competition based on criteria like cost, feasibility, maturity, innovation and technology and sustainability.Each project area may have an installed capacity of up to 500 MW of floating offshore wind.Developers wishing to participate in the competition have been invited to submit their applications, with the deadline set September 15, 2025.The competition for state aid will be carried out after a maturation phase. To participate in the competition for state aid, the actor must have submitted a license application and provided a bank guarantee for participation in the auction. The auction will only be conducted if at least two actors meet the requirements.One proposal will be awarded state aid, and the winner will be the one who bids the lowest support requirement to realize their project. It will not be permitted to bid higher than the upper limit of $3.36 billion (NOK 35 billion) in state aid, as determined by the Norwegian Parliament.The winner of the support competition must establish a project as close to 500 MW as possible, depending on the chosen turbine size. Actors who do not win the support competition may apply to extend their exclusive rights to the project area under the provisions of the Offshore Energy Act."This is a joyful moment for the industry. With this, Norway is returning to the world stage in floating offshore wind, where we have all the prerequisites to become a global leader. Norway is a pioneer in floating offshore wind technology, and we have a strong supplier industry with many specialized companies,” said Arvid Nesse, CEO of Norwegian Offshore Wind.
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ConocoPhillips Hires Subsea7 for FEED Work Offshore Norway
Subsea7 has secured a contract by the operator ConocoPhillips Skandinavia for a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the Previously Produced Fields (PPF) development project, offshore Norway.The project is granted under a new framework agreement between ConocoPhillips and Subsea7.The work is set to begin immediately, and the FEED study will finalize the technical definition of the proposed subsea development.If the development project passes final investment decision and is approved by the authorities, the operator can exercise an option to a large award of the subsea structures, umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) scope under the framework agreement to Subsea7.The contract could be valued up to $500 million.Offshore installation activities associated with this contract would be scheduled for 2026 to 2029.The Previously Produced Fields are located in the Greater Ekofisk Area, approximately 290 kilometers southwest of Stavanger, Norway. The PPF development will be connected to the existing Ekofisk Complex.“We are delighted to have signed a Framework Agreement with ConocoPhillips and have been awarded this initial FEED contract. The study will enable Subsea7 to engage early in the field development process, optimizing design solutions and contributing to the final investment decision. We look forward to working closely with ConocoPhillips to unlock further value in the Greater Ekofisk Area,” said Erik Femsteinevik, Vice President for Subsea 7 Norway.
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Saudi Arabia is poised to increase the summer crude burning for power as fuel oil costs rise
Analyst and trade sources say that Saudi Arabia will burn more crude oil this summer for electricity generation than it did last year as the country ramps up production after OPEC+ relaxes supply controls, and fuel oil is becoming more expensive. OPEC's kingpin, by burning more crude oil, could help ease concerns about global oversupply. OPEC+ (which includes the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as allies like Russia) agreed to increase production in April, may and June by almost 1 million barrels a day. Wood Mackenzie predicts that Saudi Arabia will consume 465,000-470,000 bpd for electricity generation this year. This is an increase of 10,000-15,000 bpd compared to 2024. Several traders have also predicted an increase. FGE estimates that Saudi Arabia will consume 423,000 to 428,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil for power generation this year, up from last year by 10 to 15 bpd. During the summer months, when air conditioning is in high demand, the Middle East burns a lot of crude oil and HSFO. Analysts have reduced their oil price predictions for this year, after OPEC+ decided to accelerate output increases. This has stoked concerns about rising supplies. However, the profits of refiners from producing HSFO using Dubai crude hit a record high of $4.45 a barrel. Priti Mehta is a senior analyst at Wood Mackenzie who specializes in short-term refining, oils and oil products. She said that lower crude prices and increased HSFO cracks will shift some demand for power generation from fuel oil towards crude. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry and Saudi Aramco have not responded to comments. OPEC data shows that Saudi Arabia's oil output quota in June was 9.367 millions bpd. This is up from the 9.034million bpd of April. David Wech is the chief economist of analytics firm Vortexa. He said that Saudi Arabia has an incentive to increase crude production but not export it. Burning it to generate electricity would be a good choice in this situation. Analysts and trade sources said that high prices will likely limit Saudi Arabia's fuel consumption for electricity generation this year, while its imports of Russian oil are unlikely to surpass last year's records. Since 2023, the kingdom has imported more Russian fuel oil at a discount for summer use as the price of Russian barrels dropped following Moscow's invasion in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia generates most of its electricity using natural gas and oil. Renewable energy sources are minimal. The country has signed agreements to expand the gas network at Jafurah and its production. Woodmac's Mehta stated that "further increases in the liquid burn in 2025 will be limited due to the approximately 6 gigawatts renewable energy power plants being brought online, and the beginning of operations in the Jafurah Shale Gas Field later this year." Rystad expects Saudi Arabia will reduce crude oil use and increase gas production for power generation by 2030.
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Iron ore prices rise as traders assess resilient demand and soft China data
Iron ore futures traded in a narrow range on Tuesday as investors weighed the resilient demand for steelmaking ingredients near term against the subdued data from China, its largest consumer. As of 0252 GMT, the most traded September iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange remained unchanged at 723.5 Yuan ($100.17). On the Singapore Exchange, benchmark June iron ore was trading at $99.6 per ton. This is a 0.15% increase. Mysteel, a consultancy, said that production among Chinese iron ore mines continued to rise last week after more mines reopened. According to Mysteel, the total volume of iron-ore concentrate produced has increased by 2% each week, bringing it to 498,800 tonnes per day in average. Everbright Futures, the broker, reported that hot metal production, which is typically used to gauge demand for iron ore, fell 0.35% on a month-to-month basis to 2,45 million tonnes. Galaxy Futures, a broker, stated that while hot metal production has decreased slightly, it is still high and demand for steel continues to increase. In a report, Hexun Futures said that iron ore shipments from Australia and Brazil, two major producers, increased by 9.53% on a month-to-month basis to 33.48 millions tons. Retail sales and factory output in China were below expectations, while new home prices continued to stagnate. Data released on Monday showed that China's crude-steel output fell 7% in April from March, but production was still high. Coking coal and coke, which are both steelmaking ingredients, were down by 0.76% apiece. The benchmarks for steel on the Shanghai Futures Exchange have lost ground. Rebar fell 0.39%, while hot-rolled coils dropped 0.19%. Wire rods also declined 0.54%, and stainless steel lost almost 1%.
Asian stocks are rising as traders consider US debt and trade deals
Asian stocks rose Tuesday, while U.S. Treasury rates steadied. This gave the dollar a little breathing room as investors weighed the debt burden of the largest economy in the world and waited for trade deals.
Moody's downgraded its rating of U.S. sovereign debt last week due to growing concerns over that nation's $36 trillion in debt. This led to a sell-off on Treasuries Monday, but this stabilised during Tuesday's Asian trading hours.
Kyle Rodda is a senior financial analyst at Capital.com. He said that the Moody's downgrade had only a short-term impact and was of little significance in the larger picture.
"But we aren't really getting any fresh news to invest in... We haven’t received any new deals."
Analysts say that markets struggle to find direction as there is little sign of trade agreements on the horizon.
The 30-year bond rate was 3.5 basis point lower at 4,906%, after reaching a 18-month high 5.037% during the previous trading session. The major U.S. indexes recovered quickly from an early loss and ended mostly flat.
The MSCI index for Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan, which includes all shares traded in the region, is now 0.36% higher and hovering around the seven-month-high reached last week. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.65% early in the morning.
Chinese stocks opened unchanged after the central bank cut lending rates benchmark for the first since October. Five of China's largest state-owned banks lowered their deposit rates as well.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index grew 1%, while the blue-chip index rose by 0.15%.
U.S. Federal Reserve officials reacted cautiously to the implications of Moody's downgrade, and the unsettled conditions in the market as they navigated an uncertain economic climate following the U.S.'s erratic trade actions.
Although not an immediate issue for the Fed higher borrowing costs linked to a deteriorating U.S. Financial Position could make credit more expensive and cause restraints on economic activity.
The U.S. Central Bank has cut interest rates twice this year compared to four times last month, when Donald Trump's tariffs shook the markets and caused investors to sell U.S. assets.
Charu Chanana is the chief investment strategist of Saxo in Singapore. She said that for now, U.S. exceptionalalism and corporate resilience offsets risks.
How long will it be before investors demand a higher premium for risk, with the Fed still in a wait-and see mode and trade negotiations seemingly stagnating?
The markets will monitor a U.S. Congress debate on a tax law later that day. Trump is expected to attend the event ahead of the vote later this week.
The measure would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, and could add up to $5 trillion in national debt in the next decade.
Investors are also watching for the Reserve Bank of Australia to make a decision on policy, as interest rate cuts are widely expected. The Australian dollar was slightly weaker, at $0.64485.
Oil prices in commodities were mixed, as investors worried about a possible breakdown of talks between the U.S. & Iran over Iran's nuclear activities and the weakened prospect of Iranian oil entering the market. (Reporting from Ankur Banerjee in Singapore and Johann M. Cherian; Editing by Christopher Cushing).
(source: Reuters)