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US Dollar stocks fall after Fed keeps rates unchanged
The dollar fell on Wednesday, U.S. stock prices extended their losses, and interest-rate-sensitive two-year Treasury yields declined after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged. Meanwhile, oil?prices soared in response to renewed attacks across Middle East. The ?Fed's decision was largely expected, but three of the 12 members ?of ?the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee dissented from the move that left the benchmark interest rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range in favor of a quarter-percentage-point hike. After major airstrikes resumed, oil prices rose by about 8%. This raises the possibility of further disruptions in already strained global energy supplies. This rally was boosted by data from the industry showing a decline in U.S. oil inventories. Bill Merz is the head of capital market research and portfolio development at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, Minneapolis. Oil prices rose, and expectations were raised that the U.S. The central bank may raise rates this week despite the fact that inflation in June was lower than expected. JP Powers said that this was expected after the June inflation print showed progress. "But with each meeting, we are creating more uncertainty than ever before." Fed funds futures traders now price in 60% odds that a rate increase will occur in September. The bigger question is how much pressure they will have to exert in order to raise rates in September. The market is expecting the next rate hike in September, as the inflation rate is high and crude oil prices are surging. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.2% to 51,594.86, while the S&P 500 fell 1.5% to 7,316.39, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.7% to 24,442.94. The MSCI All Country World Price Index dropped by 1.1%, to its lowest level in June 2011. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10 year notes increased 7.53 basis to 4.679%. This is due to concerns over future inflation. The dollar index (which measures the greenback versus a basket including the yen, the euro and others) fell by 0.45%, while the euro rose by 0.54% to $1.1447. Worries about tech giants The global markets have been volatile in the past month, as investors questioned the sustainability of AI spending. This is due to signs that U.S. major companies continue to invest billions of dollars into AI at the expense free cash flow. Meta missed earnings on Wednesday and lowered its annual capital budget forecast range as the social media giant focuses on building data centers to increase its AI computing power. The focus is now on returns, not spending plans. Investors are looking for evidence that AI capex generates revenues right now and also strengthens the future growth prospects," said Gina Martin Adams. Gina Martin Adams is chief market strategist at HB Wealth. As China's competition intensifies in both the race to develop advanced chip technology and its cheaper AI models, investors are becoming more scrutinizing. Amazon.com and Apple are expected to release earnings this week. Even though SK Hynix reported a six-fold increase in its quarterly profit, it fell short of expectations. Its shares dropped 9.6%. South Korea's KOSPI fell 6% in a single day after falling more than 10% and reaching a new three-month low. South Korea will impose additional restrictions on leveraged single-stock exchange-traded fund (ETFs) in response. This includes a cap on an individual's investments of up to 20%. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell by 0.3% while the FTSEurofirst 300 index in Europe fell by 0.4%.
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US stocks continue to fall after Fed maintains rates
?U.S. Stocks remained lower for the day. Interest-rate sensitive yields on 2-year Treasury notes reversed an earlier rise and the dollar fell?on Wednesday, after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady. This was a move which economists had expected. The ?decision to leave the benchmark interest rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range drew dissents from three of the 12 members of the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee that "preferred" a quarter-percentage-point hike at this meeting. The recent rise in oil prices, due to the return of the war against Iran, had some expecting that the U.S. Central Bank would raise rates this week. The U.S. central bank is still raising rates despite the fact that June's inflation data was lower than expected. JP Powers is chief investment officer of TWA Wealth Partners. He said that this was expected after the June inflation print revealed some progress. "But with each meeting, we are now creating more uncertainty than ever before." The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.55% to 51,928.87. The S&P 500 dropped 0.50% to 7391.31 while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.37% to 24784.10. The yield on the interest rate-sensitive 2-year Treasury note was unchanged at 4.277%. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10 year notes increased 3.67 basis points, to 4.641%. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket including the yen, the euro and other currencies) fell by?0.25%, falling from 101.17. The oil prices rose by around 7% as major airstrikes resumed across the Middle East. This quelled hopes of an imminent end to the?Iran war. The rally was exacerbated by data from the 'industry showing a decline in U.S. oil inventories. Bill Merz is the head of capital market research and portfolio development at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, Minneapolis. EARNINGS TO SET TONE Investors will also be waiting for a wave key earnings. Microsoft and Meta are due to report their results after the close of markets, followed by Amazon.com, and Apple later in this week. The global markets have been volatile this month, as investors question whether the AI spending boom will last. This is despite signs that U.S. major companies are continuing to invest billions in the technology and continue to drain cash from their free flow. "The focus is shifting away from budgets to return on investment." Investors are looking for evidence that AI capex generates revenues right now and also strengthens 'the future growth prospects,' said Gina Martin Adams, chief strategist at HB Wealth. As China's competition intensifies in both the race to develop advanced chip technology and its cheaper AI models, investors are paying more attention. The expectations have become so inflated that SK Hynix shares fell 9.61% despite a six-fold increase in its quarterly profit. South Korea's KOSPI - which has become emblematic for the wild swings of AI sentiment - fell almost 6% in a single day, after falling more than 10% and reaching a three month low. South Korea's finance ministry announced on Wednesday that it would introduce new restrictions on leveraged exchange-traded products, such as ETFs with single stocks. These will include a cap on individual investors who invest in these products. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell by 0.29% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 fell by 0.36%. The MSCI All Country World Price Index was down 0.45% in the last few days and had earlier dropped to its lowest level since 11 June.
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Official Israeli source: Trump and Netanyahu discussed all options, including an attack on Iran.
?U.S. In their meeting on Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu discussed all possible ways to stop Iran's nuclear program, including diplomacy, pressure from the economy and force. The official told reporters in a press conference after the two men had met at the White House, on Tuesday that Netanyahu did not inform Trump of Israel's preference for an attack against Iran. The official stated that Trump's decision was final. The official stated that Trump had 'three options, all of which were discussed in detail: a deal, continuing the blockade, economic pressures and a massive strikes. Officials said there was evidence that?Iran’s clerical leaders have been rattled? by rising inflation, but that the impact on the global economy and the oil markets were also taken into consideration. The oil prices soared on Wednesday, one of the biggest spikes since the beginning of the war on February 28. This was due to a joint Israeli and U.S. aerial campaign against Iran. Tehran responded by launching strikes on Israel and Gulf States. Israel did not take part in the two-week U.S. airstrikes this month, which prompted Tehran to respond by firing on U.S. military bases. However, it has warned Tehran that it will strike back if attacked. The United States and Saudi Arabia attacked Iran-backed paramilitary groups on Wednesday. Trump promised to "beat the fucking sh*t" out of Iran after it fired at U.S. soldiers days after he stopped?air strikes. Iran has confirmed that it fired at U.S. bases in Jordan, as well as ships in the Strait of Hormuz. It also rejected an Omani proposal for a joint management of the Strait.
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SAIL and Krakatau Steel to invest $350 Million in a stainless steel plant
Two Indian sources said that India's state run Steel Authority of India and Indonesia's Krakatau Steel are planning to invest up to $350 million in a stainless-steel slab plant in Indonesia. Sources said that the?plant?will have a?capacity of?500,000 metric tonnes and will be operational in the next three to five years. SAIL and Krakatau Steel have signed a preliminary joint venture agreement in Indonesia to produce stainless steel plates. This was done during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Indonesia earlier this month. Sources said that SAIL will send a "technical" team to Indonesia in the next month to produce a feasibility study. After this, both companies will finalise details such as the equity structure, timeline for government approvals, and other details. Sources declined to be identified because the discussions aren't public. SAIL didn't respond to an email sent Monday seeking comment. Krakatau Steel?did not respond to an email request for comments made on Tuesday. Sources?said that the proposed plant's capability could be?expanded once it becomes operational. One source said that partnering with Krakatau Steel could help SAIL obtain nickel at a lower price, which is a crucial raw material for stainless steel production. Indonesia produces more than half of the world's nickel. The second source said that SAIL would consume all the output from the planned Indonesian facility, and then bring the stainless steel plates to its Salem plant to be rolled and finished. Salem is located in Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state. Sources said that the state-run steelmaker would primarily sell the finished product to Indian clients, with a small portion?possibly being exported to Europe and the Middle East. According to commodities consultancy BigMint, SAIL was India’s third largest?steel manufacturer in the fiscal year ending March 2025. It held a 10.1% market share. India, which is the second largest producer of crude steel in the world after China, has identified Indonesia as well as more than a dozen?countries to cooperate with the steel industry. This will boost exports and ensure key raw materials. BigMint data shows that India's finished steel consumption has increased by 55% in the last five years. This is more than double the increase in production of 42%. Indian steelmakers are "pivoting" to the domestic market in order to offset weaker imports from Europe and Britain, but Chinese steel is sabotaging that strategy. (Reporting from New Delhi by Neha Arora; Additional reporting in Jakarta by Fransiska Nanangoy; Editing by Mayank Bhadwaj, Christian Schmollinger).
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Stocks fall as Mideast conflict reignites and Fed decision looms
U.S. stock prices fell, while oil and Treasury yields rose, as the fighting in the Iran war resumed just hours before the highly anticipated 'Federal Reserve interest rate decision due later on Wednesday. Although the Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged, traders have priced in roughly 34% of a rate hike. This is because rising oil prices are reigniting concerns over inflation which remains above the U.S. Central Bank's annual target of 2%. The markets have fully priced in a Fed rate hike for the September meeting. Chris Low, FHN Financial's chief economist, said that if oil prices continue to rise in September, then the Fed will determine that the shock has lasted for long enough to warrant a rate increase, or increases. The market also believes that some participants will make the case for rate hikes today...and there's a good chance they can convince a majority to support them. After major airstrikes resumed, oil prices rose more than 6%. This quelled hopes of an imminent end to Iran's war. This rally was exacerbated by data from the industry showing a decline in U.S. crude inventories. The Fed chairman Kevin Warsh prefers to give less "forward guidance" on the Fed's probable monetary path. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10 year notes increased 2.45 basis points from late Tuesday to 4.629%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.37% to 52 024.98, the S&P 500 declined 0.62% at 7,382.73 while the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.83% at 24,670.23. EARNINGS TO SET TONE Investors will also be waiting for a wave key earnings. Microsoft and Meta are due to report their results after the close of markets, followed by Amazon.com, and Apple later in this week. Investors have questioned the sustainability of AI spending boom amid signs that U.S. major companies are continuing to invest billions in the technology and continue to drain free cash flow. The focus is now on returns from investment, not spending plans. Investors are looking for evidence that AI capex generates revenues right now and also strengthens future growth prospects, said Gina Martin 'Adams, Chief Market Strategist at HB Wealth. As China's competition intensifies in both the race to develop advanced chip models and Chinese firms rolling out cheaper AI models, there is a growing concern. Even a six-fold increase in SK Hynix’s quarterly profit failed to meet expectations, sending the shares tumbling by 9.61%. South Korea's KOSPI fell almost 6% in a single day, after falling more than 10% and reaching a three-month high. South Korea is responding by introducing additional 'curbs' on leveraged single-stock exchange-traded fund, or ETFs. This includes a cap that would limit an individual investor's investment to 20% of total assets. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell by 0.21% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 fell by 0.28%. The MSCI All Country World Price Index dropped by 0.57%, to its lowest level since June 26.
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Hungary's Paks Nuclear Plant will shut down one reactor due to a drop in the Danube water levels
Operator MVM announced that the Paks nuclear plant in Hungary will shut down one of the 'four reactors' at a time of?1300 GMT on Wednesday due to record low water levels along the Danube River, which provides cooling water for the facility. On Monday, the plant had already cut output by 254 Megawatts at another unit. The plant operates four Russian-built nuclear reactors with a combined 2 gigawatts of capacity. It produces almost?half of Hungary’s electricity. The shutdown on Wednesday will reduce production to?about 60 percent of its capacity. It follows?contingency steps taken in June, during a heatwave record. Authorities exempted this plant from temperature limits for discharged cooling waters. The water levels along the Danube are now at new record lows. This has disrupted cargo and river cruises on one of Europe's most busy?waterways. The Environment Minister Laszlo Gajdos stated earlier on Wednesday that the Hungarian water management authorities are ready to assist in ensuring cooling water supplies for the plant. He said that the authorities had placed four pumping pontoons, and two floating cranes near Paks in preparation for a possible deployment as water levels are expected to continue to drop over the next few days. Reporting by Gergely szakacs and Anita Komuves. Mark Potter edited the article.
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NextEra and Brookfield plan a $100 billion Kentucky datacenter campus
NextEra Energy and Brookfield are building a $100 billion campus of data centers at an 'ex-uranium enrichment site' in Paducah, Kentucky. The soaring demand for electricity in the United States is driving companies to invest heavily into artificial intelligence data centres and other technologies that strain an aging U.S. electric grid. NextEra is the largest U.S. power company and will provide 2.6 GW in battery storage and 2 gigawatts (GW) of natural gas to support the datacenter. Brookfield, on the other hand, will own and operate the 1.8 GW campus. One gigawatt can power approximately 750,000 homes. The campus will be built on the Department of Energy’s Paducah Site. This site was originally constructed in 1952 for the production of enriched uranium, but it was closed down later. NextEra said the project complies with the Trump Administration's "Ratepayer Protection Pledge" which seeks?to ensure that companies building and using data centres?pay over?and above normal rates to avoid costs being passed on to average households. Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt said in a statement that "the Department of Energy Paducah Site will be the seed of a plan to invest 100 billion dollars?in AI Infrastructure". The project should be completed in 2032. Reporting by Vallari Shrivastava, Bengaluru. Editing by Tasim Zaid
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Allied Gold's $4 Billion sale to China's Zijin falls through, lands a $295 M investment
Zijin Gold & Allied 'Gold has scrapped its planned C$5.5 Billion ($3.90 Billion) buyout. Instead, the?Chinese?company took a 9.2% share for around $295 M. In premarket trading, shares of Allied Gold listed in the U.S. fell by nearly 15%. The companies announced on Wednesday that they had mutually agreed to allow the deadline of July 29 to expire as "there was no reasonable likelihood" that the remaining conditions would be met in a reasonable time frame. Allied also cited broader external factors affecting trans-border transactions at this scale but did not provide any further?details. Zijin Gold operates mining operations in Asia, Africa and South America, while the Canadian firm has gold mines,?development and development projects on the Ivory Coast, Mali, and Ethiopia. In January, Zijin announced its agreement to purchase Allied for C$44 a share. ZIJIN?REMAINS INVESTOR Zijin has agreed to purchase approximately 12.8 million newly-issued Allied shares for?C$32.55 each in a private placing for the '9.2% stake. The transaction is expected to close around August 10. Allied stated that it 'expects' to use the proceeds - including the completion and ramping up of the Kurmuk Mine in Ethiopia and the expansion of the Sadiola Mine?in Mali - to advance growth initiatives. It also said they expect the proceeds -including increasing production – at their Ivory Coast operations, and funding exploration across the business. ($1 = 1.4098 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
Top 20 worldwide family-owned retail businesses
Japan's Seven & & i Holdings got a buyout proposition from a member of its founding Ito family last week, a possible $58 billion whiteknight bid which would see the company go personal and allow it to continue running under existing management.
Many worldwide retailers have actually decided to stay privately owned or have founding families which have actually maintained considerable stakes.
An index assembled by EY and University of St. Gallen at the start of 2023 listed the 500 largest household services internationally ranked by revenue. Below is a list of the biggest 20 family-owned retailers, both publicly listed and private, which all appeared within the top 100.
WALMART:
The biggest of all family businesses, American omnichannel merchant Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, and is currently headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.
The Walton household presently holds 45.5% of its shares impressive, according to LSEG data.
SCHWARZ GROUP:
The moms and dad business of German supermarket chains Lidl and Kaufland is owned by Dieter Schwarz, boy of its creator Josef Schwarz.
The group, which was established in 1930, has about 13,900 stores and 575,000 workers in 32 nations.
LVMH: The Paris-based luxury items group was founded in 1987 through a. merger of Moët Hennessy and Louis Vuitton, and has since 1989. been headed by Bernard Arnault, with his five children recently. moving up the ranks of business management.
The Arnault family currently holds 48.8% of shares. outstanding, according to LSEG information.
NIKE:
The U.S.-based sportswear giant was co-founded by Phil. Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports.
Knight is currently Chair Emeritus of the board of directors. and attends conferences of the board as a non-voting observer,. after working as Nike's president for an overall of 25 years. According to Nike's 2024 notification of yearly meeting, Phil Knight. and his boy Travis Knight own more than 97% of exceptional Class. A shares in addition to the holding business and trusts they. control, such as Swoosh LLC.
LOBLAW COMPANIES:
Loblaw is a Canadian food and drug store retailer. headquartered in Brampton, Canada.
The biggest financier is George Weston Ltd, founded by George. Weston in 1882, which owns 53.8%. George Weston is managed by. the Weston family, consisting of Galen G. Weston Galen, 51, chair. and director of Loblaw Companies Ltd.
. L'ORÉAL:
The French cosmetics maker was established in 1909 by Eugène. Schueller and is headquartered in Clichy.
Its greatest shareholder is the Bettencourt-Meyers family,. which holds 34.8% of the shares according to LSEG data.
ELO:
France's Elo is the owner of grocery store chain Auchan, which. was established in 1961 by Gérard Mulliez and has its head office. in Croix, France. The Mulliez family has a 98% stake in the. unlisted group Elo, and controls stores such as home enhancement. and gardening outlet Leroy Merlin or sporting items chain. Decathlon.
HEB GROCERY:
The Butt household owns all the voting shares in the American. grocery giant H-E-B. The personal company has its headquarters in. San Antonio, Texas. It was founded by Florence Butt in 1905, and. her grandson Charles Butt currently is the chairperson of the. company.
RAJESH EXPORTS:
The Indian jeweller was established in 1989 by its present. Executive Chair Rajesh Mehta. The Mehta household manages 54.55% of the business, according to a. statement on the business's site.
INDITEX:
The world's largest noted style merchant was founded in. 1985 in Spain by Amancio Ortega as a holding business for the. Zara brand name and its factory. Amancio Ortega controls about 59% of Inditex capital through. Pontegadea Inversiones and Partler Participaciones, with a 5%. stake held by daughter Sandra Ortega. ALDI GROUP:
Aldi's family-owned business was established in 1913 in Germany. In 1961, brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht divided the business. into 2 lawfully and economically independent business,. grocery store chains ALDI Nord and ALDI Sued.
The 2 sis companies served at first north and south. Germany and after that broadened to much of Europe as well as the. United States and Australia.
MERCADONA:
Mercadona, the Spanish supermarket and online shopping. company, was developed in 1977 by Francisco Roig Ballester and his. wife Trinidad Alfonso Mocholí as part of the Cárnicas Roig. Group.
Juan Roig, child of the creators, is the president of the. business, with the household comprising the majority of the board.
The Roig household holds 100% of the shares in Mercadona. according to the EY St Gallen Household Business Index.
C&S WHOLESALE GROCERS LLC:
The U.S.-based supply chain options supplier and wholesale. grocery provider was founded in 1918. In addition to its core. business, it operates and supports corporate supermarket.
Its owner and Executive Chair Rick Cohen is the third. generation of the Cohen household to lead the business.
JERONIMO MARTINS:. Founded at the end of the 18th century, the Portuguese retailer,. owner of Pingo Doce supermarkets, was acquired by Francisco. Manuel dos Santos in 1921 and has been led by the dos Santos. household ever since. Pedro Soares dos Santos is the current CEO of. the company and the household owns over 56% of the Jeronimo Martins. share capital through the Sociedade Francisco Manuel dos Santos.
EMPIRE COMPANY:
The Canada-based business operates in food retail through the. grocery store chain Sobeys, which was established in 1907 by John W. Sobey as a meat shipment company.
Members of the Sobey family are still involved in the. management of the group, which was incorporated in 1963.
H&M:
The Swedish style seller has its head office in. Stockholm. It was established by Erling Persson in 1947.
His child, Stefan Persson and his family are H&M's biggest. shareholders through Ramsbury Invest AB, which holds all the class A. shares, which provide 10 votes per share, along with a part of. class B shares, amounting to 61% of all shares. The family of. Lottie Tham, Stefan's sister, holds 5.5%.
Stefan Persson's kid, Karl-Johan Persson, is the board's. chairperson, having actually served formerly as H&M's CEO from 2009 to. 2020.
COMPAGNIEFINANCIERE RICHEMONT:
Cartier-owner Richemont was formed in 1988, when the. Rembrandt Group spun off its non-South African operations into. the brand-new entity.
The Swiss high-end group, which also owns Swiss watchmakers. IWC, Piaget and Jaeger-LeCoulture, is managed by Chair Johan. Rupert through a mix of 2 categories of shares that offers. him 51% of the voting rights.
KERING:
The France-based Gucci owner is led by the founder's child,. François-Henri Pinault, who has actually been CEO of the group given that. 2005.
The Pinault household owns 42% of the shares and nearly 60% of. voting rights in the company, which was established in 1962 by. François Pinault as a lumber trading business and noted on the. Paris Stock Exchange in 1988, before shifting its focus to the. high-end sector in the late 1990s.
LOVES TRAVEL STOPS & & NATION STORES:
The U.S. based privately-owned chain operates truck travel. stops along with sustaining stations with attached convenience. shops and has about 650 places in 42 states.
It was founded in 1964 by Tom and Judy Love and is owned by. their 4 kids.
Their kids Greg and Frank have been co-CEOs given that 2014.
QUICKLY RETAILING:
The Japanese operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain was. established in 1949 and presently headed by Tadashi Yanai, Japan's. richest guy and Uniqlo brand name founder. Yanai, 75, who has long aimed to make Quick Selling the world's. greatest fashion merchant, presently holds a 17.19% stake in the. company, according to LSEG information. The stake held by his household in. total amounts to 41.28%.
(source: Reuters)