North America:

  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang forecasts widespread use of humanoid robots in manufacturing within five years and announces significant AI advancements and collaborations.
  • Pfizer sold its entire 7.3% stake in Haleon for approximately £2.5 billion ($3.24 billion).
  • Morgan Stanley plans to cut approximately 2,000 jobs to enhance operational efficiency and control costs.
  • Google expedited its acquisition of Wiz for $32 billion under Trump.
  • Autodesk faces a proxy battle initiated by Starboard Value to nominate directors to its board at the 2025 annual meeting.
  • Tesla progresses with receiving initial approvals from California to launch a robotaxi service.
  • Southwest Airlines narrowly avoided a collision at Chicago Midway Airport and is in discussions with the US Department of Justice regarding a lawsuit on flight delays.
  • BlackRock is expanding its investment portfolio, including a consortium investing in Viridium Group and leading an AI fund with Nvidia and X.AI.
  • UnitedHealth Group's Optum Rx is reducing prescription reauthorization requirements by up to 25%.
  • Oracle Corp has been chosen to supply Singapore's Ministry of Defence with isolated cloud computing and AI services.
  • Haleon had its entire 7.3% stake sold by Pfizer for approximately £2.5 billion ($3.24 billion).

Europe:

  • Eni is under investigation for a fuel depot explosion and has increased its gas production in Ivory Coast.
  • Volkswagen is selling up to 11 million shares of its subsidiary Traton, reducing its stake to approximately 87.5%.
  • Vonovia faces financial challenges with a third consecutive year of losses in 2024.
  • Novartis announced positive phase III results for its SMA treatment and plans to file for regulatory approval in H1 2025.
  • Allianz led a consortium acquiring Viridium Group for approximately $3.8 billion.
  • Sabadell CEO anticipates a lenient stance from Spain's competition regulator on BBVA's hostile takeover bid.

Rest of the World:

  • Samsung Electronics is focusing on strategic initiatives amidst challenges in the AI sector and weak earnings.
  • Tencent plans to boost its capital expenditure to a 'low teens' percentage of revenue by 2025.
  • Ping An Insurance reported a significant increase in its net profit for 2024, with a rise of approximately 47.8% to 48%.
  • JX Advanced Metals saw a 2.8% increase in its stock price during its debut on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.