By Eleanor Whitfield
Former buy-side analyst. Leads the desk with a focus on global markets, macro flows and what moves portfolios.
Congo bans copper and cobalt concentrate exports to boost local processing
The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned exports of copper and cobalt concentrates, effective immediately, to force more processing at ho
Gulf stocks steady as Iran-Oman Hormuz shipping deal nears
Gulf stock markets barely moved as Iran and Oman neared a deal on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, even as reports of attacks on Saudi
BPER Banca sets €2.7bn 2028 profit goal as Italy's banks consolidate
BPER Banca, Italy's fifth-largest bank, has set a 2028 profit target of about €2.7 billion. It could also pick up 635 branches from MPS if I
ByteDance founder urges staff to skip AI shortcut as US-China tensions rise
ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming reportedly urged his AI team to avoid model distillation, a shortcut that can boost performance quickly but m
New Zealand shares slip as global caution and Middle East tensions weigh
New Zealand's benchmark index slipped 0.28% on Thursday, following a mixed day on Wall Street and fresh Middle East headlines that cooled ri
Rand Gains as Iran Peace Hopes Calm Markets, Gold Hits 7-Week High
South Africa's rand strengthened and the JSE Top-40 climbed over 1% as the dollar eased and gold hit a seven-week high. Investors grew optim
Gold rises for fourth day as Hormuz talks ease oil fears
Gold rose for a fourth straight session as investors kept a safety net despite progress in Iran-Oman talks that pushed oil lower. Copper hit
Samsung and SK Hynix face investor pressure over $263B cash pile
South Korea's top chipmakers are flush with cash from the AI memory boom, but investors are growing impatient for bigger returns. With a com
Australia's AU$150B data center pipeline could boost investment growth
Commonwealth Bank of Australia sees a AU$150 billion data center pipeline by 2030, potentially adding six points to real business investment
Palm oil slips as soyoil and crude cool off, ringgit firms
Malaysia's benchmark palm oil contract slipped 0.28% in early Thursday trading, snapping a two-day climb. Weaker Chicago soyoil, softer crud
ASX 200 hits record as miners rally on copper, oil eases
The ASX 200 rose 0.7% to a record close, led by miners like Rio Tinto, Fortescue, and BHP as copper hit a three-month high. Oil prices staye
Australian shares set to slip as US inflation fears and Fed rate warning weigh
Australian shares are poised to dip on Thursday as renewed US inflation concerns and a Federal Reserve official's warning about higher rates