China’s sudden emergence as a global player in artificial intelligence, combined with Beijing’s easier hand of regulation, is drawing foreign investors back to Chinese equities.
Tag: Economy
SPOTLIGHT: BIGS GETTING BIGGER
Google is paying $32 billion in cash to buy Wiz, a noted cybersecurity startup. The purchase not only improves Google’s cloud services’ security but also leads the company beyond its search engine and Internet services businesses.
TOP TREND 2024, OFFICE BUILDING BUST: SEATTLE DEVELOPER DEFAULTS ON $135 MILLION IN OFFICE BUILDING LOANS
Martin Selig Real Estate, a commercial property developer in Seattle, has defaulted on $135 million in loans against three office buildings after failing to secure refinancing.
SPOTLIGHT: BIGS GETTING BIGGER
Private equity firm BlackRock is leading a consortium that plans to purchase a controlling interest in the country of Panama’s ocean ports from Hong Kong-based C.K. Hutchison Holdings for $22.8 billion.
SPOTLIGHT: TRADE WAR FALLOUT
Donald Trump’s abrupt and aggressive tariff policies have swerved the global economy onto a trajectory of slowed growth and rising costs that will worsen the longer and more acrimonious the trade war becomes, a new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has warned.
CHINESE ECONOMIC BRIEFS
Still struggling to revive the country’s consumer economy, Chinese officials have instructed banks to encourage households to borrow and to use their credit cards.
UNILEVER WILL HIRE MORE SOCIAL INFLUENCERS TO PROMOTE ITS PRODUCTS
Unilever, the global conglomerate selling foods, soaps, and other consumer products, will focus more of its advertising dollars on social media influencers to promote its products because “messages coming from corporations are suspicious” in consumers’ eyes, new CEO Fernando Fernandez said in an interview with Barclays analyst Warren Ackerman.
SPOTLIGHT: BIGS GETTING BIGGER
Allianz, a German insurer and financial services company, is in exclusive negotiations to buy Viridium, a provider of specialized insurance services, for €3 billion, equivalent to about $3.3 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
SPECIAL REPORT: TRUMP’S TARIFF GUESS
The Trump administration put a one-month pause on the blanket 25-percent import duties on goods entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.
ANOTHER LUXURY HOUSE REPORTS A BAD YEAR
Salvatore Ferragamo, the Italian high-fashion house known for its shoes and handbags, booked a net loss of €68.1 million—equivalent to about $73 million—in 2024 after revenue dropped 11 percent.









