Analysis: Indices

Equities: cyclicals in good shape, defensives struggling

In a year marked by tariffs and geopolitical uncertainties, and with indices starting the year at record highs, defensive stocks had a strong case against cyclicals. However, it is clear that this bet...

Exclusive-Missed signals, lost deal: How India-US trade talks collapsed

NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON -After five rounds of trade negotiations, Indian officials were so confident of securing a favourable deal with the United States that they even signalled to the media that...

Oil prices slide to 8-week low as US-Russia talks stir sanction uncertainty

NEW YORK -Oil prices slid about 1% to an eight-week low on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about progress in talks with Moscow created uncertainty on whether the U.S. would...

Leidos raises full-year profit forecast on robust demand for weapons

Defense contractor Leidos Holdings raised its full-year adjusted profit forecast on Tuesday, as demand for its technical services and munitions remains robust amid simmering geopolitical tensions. ...

Canada's First Quantum strikes $1 billion gold streaming deal with Royal Gold

Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals signed a $1 billion gold streaming agreement with a subsidiary of its peer Royal Gold, the two companies said in a statement on Tuesday. Gold...

Chinese firms set for record US listings, undeterred by geopolitics

listed companies set up to buy mainly startups, making the startups public without them having to go through the lengthy initial public offering process. Waiting to list on the Nasdaq...

Sibanye-Stillwater's call for US tariff on Russian palladium may add to price volatility

LONDON -Sibanye-Stillwater has asked the United States to consider imposing a tariff on Russian palladium imports to support the long-term viability of U.S. supplies, in a move that could increase...

Old trees and ageing farmers worsen outlook for top palm oil exporters

PONTIAN, Malaysia -Malaysian farmer Suratmen Mosman faces a dilemma that threatens to sap supply from the world's top palm oil exporters and drive up prices of the vegetable oil essential to billions...

Construction costs rise at Canada's Woodfibre LNG project

CALGARY -Construction costs at Canada's Woodfibre LNG project have increased, driving up capital costs for all partners involved, Canadian pipeline company Enbridge reported on Friday.  ...

Trump's America First biodiesel policy could cost US companies, consumers, trade groups warn

NEW YORK -The Trump administration's push to discourage the use of foreign feedstocks in domestic biodiesel could lead to higher energy prices for U.S. consumers and restricted domestic production,...

Trump's 50% Brazil coffee tariff expected to rejig trade, send more beans to China

NEW YORK -The Trump administration's steep import tariff on Brazilian coffee looks set to reshuffle trade routes for beans from the world's top grower and exporter, benefiting China and incentivizing...

Markets dive after Trump hits more countries with steep tariffs

ZURICH/WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump's latest wave of tariffs on exports from dozens of trading partners sent global stock markets tumbling on Friday and countries and companies scrambling...

TSX posts biggest decline since April as US jobs data spooks investors

TORONTO -Canada's main stock index fell for a third straight day on Friday as investors weighed disappointing U.S. jobs data and an escalation in the U.S. trade war with Canada. The...

What impact will US plans to restrict copper scrap exports have?

LONDON -The United States is planning to restrict scrap copper exports from 2027, requiring that at least 25% of so-called high-quality scrap be retained for domestic use. In the...

CAC 40: Volatility persists as results come in

The finalization of trade agreements introducing tariffs and generally positive results are enabling indices to continue their upward trend over the summer. Europe is struggling to pick up speed for...

Global power grid expansion fuels fresh copper demand surge

Copper demand is rising faster than the industry anticipated, driven by billions of dollars being invested worldwide to modernise and expand power grids for the digital and clean energy revolutions...

StanChart profit jumps 26% as CEO Winters' turnaround takes root

HONG KONG/LONDON -Standard Chartered reported on Thursday a higher-than-expected 26% jump in first-half pretax profit, driven by growth in the bank's wealth and markets businesses that benefitted...

Grupo Mexico evaluating US investments after scaled-back copper tariff

MEXICO CITY -Grupo Mexico, a major copper producer, is looking to decide on investments for projects in the United States within the next three to five years, an executive said on a call on...

Trump issues blitz of tariff announcements on copper, Brazil, South Korea, small-value imports

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a blitz of tariff announcements ranging from changes to previously threatened levies on imports of copper, goods from Brazil and South Korea, to ending...