Category: Top Story

Gold reached record levels in early Asian trading on Monday as concerns over a potential U.S. government shutdown this week drove safe-haven demand, while expectations of lower interest rates added further support. Spot gold hit $3,812 an ounce, with December futures topping out at $3,839.05/oz. Other metals also advanced strongly, benefiting from a weaker dollar…

Oil prices retreated on Monday after crude shipments from Iraq’s Kurdistan region to Turkey resumed over the weekend, coupled with OPEC+ indications of an additional production increase in November, boosting global supply expectations. Brent crude futures fell 43 cents, or 0.6%, to $69.70 a barrel by 06:30 GMT, after hitting levels not seen since July…

Barclays has cautioned that the artificial intelligence sector, which has driven U.S. market valuations to record levels, could face headwinds if spending on data centers slows. In a note released Thursday, the bank said that while AI continues to be a strong investment theme, the sector is “exuberant, but not yet a bubble,” and highlighted…

The global economy is expected to slow over the next two years, as persistent trade tensions and policy uncertainty continue to dampen economic activity, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Outlook released Tuesday. Worldwide growth is forecast to ease from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.2% in 2025, and further down to 2.9% in 2026,…

Wells Fargo has raised its expectations for cloud growth and upgraded Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) to Overweight, pointing to accelerating demand from artificial intelligence customers and a surge in new infrastructure projects set to benefit the sector’s biggest players. A research note led by Ken Gawrelski highlighted a recent series of massive compute deals — including nearly…

Evercore ISI believes the ongoing surge in artificial intelligence-linked equities may only be at the beginning, even as warnings of a bubble become more frequent. “Discussion of ‘Bubbles’ has officially entered the market dialogue,” the firm noted in a recent strategy report. A quick survey of its clients revealed that 67% think a bubble is…

JPMorgan strategists cautioned Monday that slowing global economic growth could weigh on equity market returns, despite record levels of corporate buybacks so far this year. U.S. companies have announced nearly $1 trillion in buybacks, supported by robust earnings and healthy credit conditions. “If labour markets were to weaken more meaningfully, and consequently if corporate confidence…

The AI security sector is on track for rapid expansion, with analysts from Morgan Stanley forecasting the market could reach $45 billion in the near future. This growth comes as artificial intelligence simultaneously creates new vulnerabilities and new ways to safeguard systems. Companies are focusing investments on two main fronts: AI for Security, which leverages…

RBC Capital Markets has published its latest rankings of leading U.S. banking stocks, highlighting institutions with strong financial performance, strategic positioning, and growth potential in today’s economic climate. Topping the list is U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB), which analysts say is at an “inflection point,” where previous challenges are beginning to turn into opportunities. With a market…