Trump tariff uncertainties push safe-haven gold to record high

By Anjana Anil and Sherin Elizabeth Varghese (Reuters) -Safe-haven demand due to geopolitical uncertainties and concerns over global economic growth amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans have hoisted gold prices to a record high, once again bringing the key $3,000 threshold onto investors’ radar. Spot gold climbed to a record high of $2,817.23 per troy ounce on Friday, starting 2025 with fresh vigour after its strongest annual performance since 2010 last year. “There’re concerns … Read more…

Explainer-What worries US executives about tariffs

(Reuters) – Tariffs have been top-of-mind for corporate executives in the early days of this quarter’s earnings season as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to hit allies Mexico and Canada with levies on imported goods.  Those tariffs are expected to now begin on March 1, with an announcement on Saturday, but it is possible Trump will back off those threats or target only specific industries.  How companies navigate the issue is a key topic on … Read more…

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Trump Takes Charge – by Justin Vaughn

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) All three indexes finished last week with gains. The Benchmark S&P 500 logged up 1.7% for the week–the first record finish this year, while the heavy-tech Nasdaq Composite added 1.7% also. The Dow Jones Jones Industrial Average led all indexes with a nice weekly gain of 2.2%. Investors and traders are mostly positive and optimistic about President Trump’s second crack at occupying the White House. With an economy that … Read more…

Trump takes aim, without evidence, at diversity policies over midair collision

By Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump suggested without evidence on Thursday that the deadly midair collision of two aircraft in Washington was the result of the Federal Aviation Administration’s efforts to hire a more diverse and equitable workforce. Trump leveled the accusation at a White House press conference called to update Americans on the Wednesday night crash in which a passenger jet about to land at Reagan National Airport … Read more…

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Microsoft’s cloud outlook knocks shares, Meta rises on AI payoff signs

By Deborah Mary Sophia and Joel Jose (Reuters) -Investors punished Microsoft with a 6% share drop on Thursday as hefty AI bets failed to drive a big increase in its cloud revenue, while Meta rose 4% after CEO Mark Zuckerberg assured Wall Street about growth with promises of a “really big year”. The chief executives of both the companies defended their heavy investments on artificial intelligence on Wednesday, days after Chinese upstart DeepSeek unveiled a … Read more…

OpenAI in talks for investment round valuing it up to $340 billion, WSJ reports

(Reuters) -OpenAI is in talks for an investment round to raise nearly $40 billion that would value the AI startup at up to $340 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report. SoftBank could invest $15 billion to $25 billion directly into Microsoft-backed OpenAI, some of which may be used to pay for OpenAI’s commitment to Stargate, Reuters had reported on … Read more…

Tesla shares rise on Musk promise to launch cheaper EVs, autonomous vehicle

By Zaheer Kachwala and Siddarth S (Reuters) -Tesla shares gained more than 2% on Thursday after CEO Elon Musk vowed to launch long-awaited cheaper models in the first half of 2025 and start testing an autonomous ride-hailing service in June. The promises helped investors overlook a weak fourth quarter that saw margin shrink and revenue drop below expectations as a result of slow model upgrades and rising competition. Doubts over Tesla’s auto business gained ground … Read more…

US upstream oil and gas dealmaking hit $105 billion in 2024, Enverus says

By Georgina McCartney HOUSTON (Reuters) – Dealmaking in the U.S. upstream oil and gas industry hit $105 billion in 2024, the third highest annual total ever, but activity slowed in the second half as buyers found fewer targets to acquire, consultancy Enverus said on Wednesday. Last year’s total deal value fell sharply behind the whopping $192 billion in mergers and acquisitions done in 2023, which included the $60 billion combination of Exxon Mobil and Pioneer … Read more…

Trump to prepare facility at Guantanamo for 30,000 migrants

By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will order the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to prepare a migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay for as many as 30,000 migrants. The U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, already houses a migrant facility – separate from the high-security U.S. prison for foreign terrorism suspects – that has been used on occasion for decades, including to house Haitians and … Read more…

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House Republicans fail to clinch deal on tax cuts, despite Trump’s urging

By David Morgan MIAMI (Reuters) – A three-day meeting of U.S. House Republicans, meant to jumpstart President Donald Trump’s $4 trillion tax cut agenda, ended on Wednesday without a deal as party fiscal hawks refused to move ahead unless the plan reduced the $1.8 trillion federal deficit. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson called the meeting of his conference this week in the hope of reaching consensus on a budget blueprint while they huddled at … Read more…

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