Take part in a live Ask an Expert Q&A with Joe Leahy and Cheng Leng from our Beijing bureau today at 1pm BST... Read more »

Also in today’s newsletter: Israeli-Lebanese talks and conflict to ‘scar’ markets... Read more »

Producer price index for the world’s dominant manufacturer turns positive year-on-year for the first time since 2022... Read more »

Buy The Dip mantras ignore the fact that not all US market vulnerabilities have been accounted for... Read more »

The 2026 ranking of fast growing companies in the Asia-Pacific region. Plus: Indian winemakers face change; Chinese AI experts return from US; the biggest threat to China’s champions; ticket fees donated to charities; Singapore listings remain scarce... Read more »

The most competitive companies are being damaged by an underclass of less productive domestic rivals... Read more »

Domestic producers, already under pressure from overcapacity despite a growing market, are adapting ahead of tariff cuts... Read more »

Take part in a live Ask an Expert Q&A with Alphaville’s Robin Wigglesworth and Toby Nangle on Thursday, April 16 at 1pm BST... Read more »

Taiwan’s control of leading-edge silicon chips lies on a geostrategic faultline... Read more »

The data was stale, reflecting the period before the war against Iran, but not especially encouraging... Read more »

Most research from the US challenges the idea that a statutory pay floor doesn’t lower employment... Read more »

Also in today’s newsletter: wealthy investors sought to pull $20bn from private credit funds and Meta launches new AI model... Read more »

More than 25 countries have introduced universal measures to shield consumers from high energy prices since the start of the Iran war... Read more »

And the US might find them hard to give up... Read more »

An age-old problem might have a surprisingly simple solution... Read more »

In the short run, a bit. In the long run, a lot more... Read more »

A a coup, a conspiracy and even a (possibly unrelated) corpse... Read more »

The collision will not be pretty... Read more »

Residual risks and ruined infrastructure will keep prices high... Read more »

Markets are calling time on many Donald-adjacent bets... Read more »

Soaring prices for fertiliser and fuel could cause a global food shock... Read more »

War has split the country in two ... Read more »

Governments’ borrowing costs are being pulled in opposite directions... Read more »

In many ways, global commerce has strengthened... Read more »

Norway shows the potential pitfalls of uncommon prosperity... Read more »

An LNG crunch is good news for the world’s dirtiest fuel... Read more »

Is the yellow metal the new crypto?... Read more »

China is helping the Revolutionary Guards profit from Iranian crude... Read more »

At a moment when a lot of U.S. companies are rethinking how far and how fast they want to expand overseas, Bermuda is making a different kind of pitch. It is not a story about scale. It is not a story about a low-friction tax haven either, at least not... Read more »

A new proposal by the Trump administration to cap credit card interest rates at 10% is gaining attention in Washington. Supporters say it would give relief to Americans dealing with rising costs and growing debt. On paper, the idea seems simple: lower rates should mean lower monthly payments. But according... Read more »

New time-sensitive strategy makes congressionally mandated incentives accessible to high-net-worth individuals As the Inflation Reduction Act continues to reshape U.S. energy markets, Corbin Cowan is positioning Founders First Advisory at the intersection of tax strategy, infrastructure policy, and private investment. The firm’s latest initiative, announced March 23, 2026, enables qualified... Read more »

Automated trading tools are changing the way people approach forex. For traders who love tech, forex robots offer a way to build strategies that actually stick, without staring at charts all day. Anyone who’s spent time trading forex knows how tough it is to stay consistent. Emotions get in the... Read more »

Tax refund fraud continues to be a major concern across the United States, with the IRS estimating almost $27 billion in suspicious tax returns last year. When an identity thief uses your Social Security number or other personal information to file a fake return, the financial fallout can take months,... Read more »

Financial technology is rarely influenced by generalists. Instead, the most significant advancements in payment processing often come from the specific, high-pressure demands of specialized industries. When a sector requires faster settlement times, higher security protocols, or the ability to handle massive concurrent transaction volumes, payment gateway providers are forced to... Read more »

Nearly every company begins with a simple financial setup. In the earliest phase, spreadsheets feel practical and efficient. Revenue is limited, expenses are easy to track, and founders often know every transaction personally. A lightweight bookkeeping tool paired with occasional CPA consultation appears sufficient. Financial management at this stage is... Read more »

Over the last few years, the gold price has been driven by a combination of excessive government spending, increased geopolitical risks, and reduced confidence in the US Dollar. For centuries, gold has been seen as a safe-haven asset in uncertain times, and this week was no exception: with geopolitical risk... Read more »

Ari Page didn’t arrive in the United States with a safety net. Like many immigrants, he came in pursuit of opportunity—drawn by the promise that hard work and risk-taking could build something lasting. Today, as the founder and CEO of Fund&Grow, Page has built a company centered on one core idea:... Read more »

Disney is planning a new phase of cost cutting, including as many as 1,000 layoffs, under new CEO Josh D'Amaro, according to a person familiar with the matter.... Read more »

American Airlines is joining Delta, United, Southwest and JetBlue in raising its checked bag fees as the industry deals with high jet fuel prices.... Read more »

The Department of Justice is raising concerns about the NFL's offerings across various platforms and affordability of consumers.... Read more »

Apparel retailers could see an up to $13 billion annual boost in spending because of GLP-1 drugs, according to an estimate by equity research firm Bernstein.... Read more »

Kia plans to release a pickup truck for American consumers in the coming years, as the South Korean automaker plots continued growth globally.... Read more »

Constellation Brands withdrew its previously issued fiscal 2028 outlook on Wednesday and reported "subdued" demand across its categories.... Read more »

After ESG pressures forced private equity investors out of oil and gas, investment firms of ultra-wealthy families stepped up.... Read more »

Lindsey Vonn told CNBC Sport she's not ruling out a return to the Olympics in 2030, at age 45, if she can still perform at a high level.... Read more »

Delta is scaling back its flight plans as fuel costs grow to reduce its expenses.... Read more »

Paramount President Jeff Shell is leaving his position after a lawsuit accused him of violating SEC rules.... Read more »

Nearly all of active listings in Nantucket, Massachusetts, cost at least $1 million.... Read more »

The Trump administration is preparing to impose new tariffs on drugmakers that have not struck deals with the president to lower their U.S. drug prices.... Read more »

The Navy runs more than 300 stores globablly but its operations are at risk because retail giants like Walmart, Amazon and Target are taking market share.... Read more »

Fuel prices have nearly doubled in the U.S. since the United States and Israel attacked Iran.... Read more »

South Africa’s financial markets rebounded sharply as investors returned to risk assets following a ceasefire in the Middle East, which eased fears of global energy disruptions, according to African Economy.…... Read more »

Africa’s banking industry generated about $107 billion in revenue in 2025, with Nigeria weakly positioned as the continent’s third-largest market. A report by McKinsey and Company shows that about 70…... Read more »

As Aliko Dangote turns 69, his story demands to be read not as a biography of wealth, but as a case study in Africa’s unfinished industrial argument. For decades, the…... Read more »

Africa Feed & Food (AFF) has received a USD 90 million investment from French development finance institution (DFI) Proparco and North Africa-focused investment entity RMBV. Africa-focused law firm Asafo &…... Read more »

The United States’ newly accredited ambassador to South Africa, Matthew Bozell, formally assumed his duties on Wednesday during a ceremony that also saw envoys from 19 other nations receive accreditation…... Read more »

Africa’s start-up funding rose in March, but the gains masked a deeper shift in investor behaviour, with capital increasingly flowing into fewer, more mature companies through debt rather than equity.…... Read more »

Russia is seeking to build an alternative cross-border payments network in Africa using a ruble-backed cryptocurrency, as it looks to bypass Western financial systems following sanctions imposed over the war…... Read more »

Global payments platform, Verto, has launched a new solution under its Verto Business Accounts offering, enabling U.S.-registered companies to open USD accounts in their own business names and move funds…... Read more »

Zenith Bank Plc has completed its long-awaited entry into East Africa with the full acquisition of Paramount Bank Limited, marking a major milestone in the Nigerian lender’s regional expansion strategy.…... Read more »

Sensex Today | Stock Market LIVE Updates, Friday: In the broader markets, the Nifty MidCap and the Nifty SmallCap indices were trading 1.08 per cent and 1.57 per cent higher, respectively... Read more »

Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE 100)-listed stocks can be a good trading bet, according to Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, especially around the IMF bailout periods.... Read more »

In terms of sales bookings or pre-sales, Godrej Properties is likely to become the largest listed real estate firm during 2025-26... Read more »

Indian economy grew 7.6 per cent in the previous fiscal (2025-26), faster than the 7.1 per cent recorded in FY2024-25, supported by resilient household consumption... Read more »

The rupee appreciated 10 paise to 92.41 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, even as the USD/INR pair faces risks from rising global tensions, especially the US-Iran conflict. Forex traders said the rupee is likely to see high volatility ...... Read more »

The non-banking finance company will issue bonds with maturities of two, three, five and 10 years... Read more »

Internet has been tariff-free for decades; if that changes, it's because the world has decided it can't allow the US to run its digital empire forever... Read more »

"We can fight over who got the worst end of the shortest stick, but we clearly are doing a disservice to anybody participating in the economy in the future," Michael Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation, tells Fortune.... Read more »

Stagflation, unemployment, recession: The Iran war is rewriting the global economy and the damage may be permanent.... Read more »

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gained the most and added $12.8 billion to his net worth after Meta shares rose 6.5%.... Read more »

More ships were crossing during war-time than peacetime.... Read more »

Over the course of his Wall Street career, JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon has learned to avoid making big decisions when the weekend rolls around.... Read more »

The chocolate-hazelnut spread goes where no other spread has gone before. Now the company is eating up the free product placement within the Orion spacecraft.... Read more »

Manna is leaning into a no-frills, ultra-low-cost strategy as regulators open the door to scaled autonomous delivery.... Read more »

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, called on lawmakers to “ultimately fix the broken process that got us into this mess.”... Read more »

In his latest letter to shareholders, the JPMorgan Chase CEO pushes back on Big Tech’s “do more with less” megamanager model.... Read more »

Meeting in Beijing with Chinese president first of its kind in a decade... Read more »

Washington-Tehran ceasefire agreement fails to stem global energy crunch... Read more »

Lucy Powell, an ally of Andy Burnham, says party members would take ‘dim view’ of challenge despite looming election losses... Read more »

At a time when many question American leadership, there’s an underrated value in simply showing up... Read more »

Ottawa lobbying for GCAP admission as ‘observer’ in bid to distance itself from Trump’s US... Read more »

Buy The Dip mantras ignore the fact that not all US market vulnerabilities have been accounted for... Read more »

Military campaign backed by Israeli public falls short of prime minister’s aims ahead of polls... Read more »

Meeting with US Treasury secretary comes as latest AI system has detected decades-old vulnerabilities... Read more »

Global stocks rise in wake of S&P winning streak on ceasefire optimism... Read more »

Rome proposes that Roberto Cingolani be succeeded by company’s former chief commercial officer... Read more »

Elon Musk’s AI lab claims the regulations violate free speech protections... Read more »

A string of rapid Israeli attacks killed hundreds of people in one of the deadliest episodes in the country’s history... Read more »

NewMed Energy CEO Yossi Abu sees new opportunities for strategic cooperation with the Gulf states.... Read more »

The main indices rose strongly today following the ceasefire with Iran. Insurance and energy stock stood out, while the software sector was weak.... Read more »

Total damage from gas field shutdowns during the war was about NIS 1.7 billion.... Read more »

All 100 BCM of natural gas in the Cypriot field will be sold to Egypt by NewMed, Shell and Chevron.... Read more »

“The Information” reports that Dutch AI cloud company Nebius is negotiating to buy the Israeli company after Nvidia pulled out of talks to buy AI21 Labs.... Read more »

Investor optimism should push up the TASE and strengthen the shekel as Ben Gurion airport resumes full operations, although foreign airlines will not return immediately.... Read more »

A ministerial committee has approved increased production of Arrow missiles, in a deal which will be worth billions to Israel Aerospace Industries.... Read more »

The Israeli mobile gaming company is reviewing strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value.... Read more »

Each member of Kibbutz Yizre'el, which controls the pool cleaning robot company, has lost NIS 16.5 million on paper in five years.... Read more »

On the first day of the much-anticipated ceasefire between Iran and the United States, a fragile sense of calm was disrupted by escalating tensions in the Middle East. Allies of both nations engaged in skirmishes, with Lebanon grappling with escalating conflicts against its neighbour, Israel. Adding to the unrest, Iran... Read more »

By Francois BairdChicken importers keep saying that their imports are essential because South Africa’s poultry producers are unable to meet local demand. They’re wrong, but that doesn’t stop them from repeating this mantra. The latest example is a lengthy justification of chicken imports in the March newsletter of the Association of Meat... Read more »

The global economy is facing a renewed test of resilience following the recent Middle East conflict, with higher energy prices, disrupted supply chains, and rising uncertainty expected to weigh on growth, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director, Kristalina Georgieva.In a curtain-raiser speech on Thursday ahead of the... Read more »

Transnet Group CEO Michelle Phillips has made a strong case for deeper private sector participation in South Africa’s infrastructure build-out, warning that critical logistics and energy supply projects cannot proceed without significant external funding and high-quality investment proposals.Speaking during a panel discussion on infrastructure investment at the 2nd Gauteng Investment... Read more »

In a groundbreaking move, Sixty60 has introduced Pixie, South Africa's first personalised AI shopping assistant designed to enhance the online grocery shopping experience.Developed in-house by ShopriteX, Pixie harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to predict individual customers' needs, making grocery shopping more efficient and tailored to each user's habits.At the... Read more »

South Africa’s manufacturing sector remains under pressure, with output declining more sharply than expected in February, highlighting persistent structural challenges and weakening business conditions.According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) on Thursday, manufacturing production fell by 2.8% year-on-year in February, marking the fourth consecutive month of contraction and the steepest decline... Read more »

Nu-World Holdings, the JSE-listed company that assembles and markets branded consumer goods internationally, increased headline earnings per share (HEPS) by a sturdy 29,9% for the six months to February 28, boosted by its consumer electronics sales.HEPS came in at 227,7 cents versus 175,4 cents for the same time a year... Read more »

Transnet Group CEO Michelle Phillips has announced a major shift in South Africa’s freight rail strategy, revealing that private train operating companies will soon be allowed onto the national rail network for the first time in the entity’s history.The reforms come at a critical time for South Africa’s economy, as... Read more »

For South Africans, a Heineken beer abroad can cost up to three times more than it does at home, so the international brewer has launched a Bureau de Change - you can now buy the beers in Europe at Mzansi prices.For South Africans travelling abroad, when every round requires a quick... Read more »

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has placed public-private partnerships (PPPs) and a renewed focus on core State functions at the centre of the province’s economic strategy, arguing that only a capable, well-coordinated government can unlock meaningful investment and growth.Speaking at the Gauteng Investment Conference on Thursday, Lesufi said the province’s ambition... Read more »

South Africa is on the brink of a major trade breakthrough as zero-tariff access to China’s vast consumer market comes into effect on 1 May 2026.Yet while the policy milestone marks a significant diplomatic and economic achievement, analysts warn that the real challenge now lies in execution — turning opportunity... Read more »

By Mark TruscottThe current disruption in global oil flows, following the conflict involving Iran, has quickly translated into higher fuel costs, rising transport pricing and renewed pressure on supply chains across Africa. For many businesses, the impact is already visible in margins, delivery timelines and pricing decisions.What this moment highlights... Read more »

Gemfields declared a lower “G-Factor for Natural Resources” for its 2025 year due to weak markets, illegal mining and other disruptions at its coloured stone mining operations. For many decades, mining groups have come under fire in Africa from politicians and civil society organisations alike for failing to make a... Read more »

In South Africa, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economy, accounting for over 90% of businesses and employing around 60% of the workforce.With nearly 8 million South Africans relying on these enterprises for their livelihoods, the importance of their success cannot be overstated.Yet, a staggering 70%... Read more »

Business secretary Peter Kyle has insisted Britain’s economic ties with the US are strong despite political tensions, in what he dubbed a “really great economic set of opportunities” between the two countries. Speaking ahead of a major trade mission to California, Kyle was optimistic about transatlantic relations, despite rhetoric from... Read more »

Senior female leaders have warned that progress at the helm of UK Plc is stalling, as they lay out the barriers women still face in leadership in male-dominated industries. In a conversation with Investec Bank Channel Islands CEO Jane Niles, leading rugby union CEOs Julia Chapman and Andrea Pinchen reflected... Read more »

Warburg Pincus launches European Defence Investment Initiative with MEAG on behalf of Munich Re Group as an Early Backer of the Strategy Collaboration Focused on Private Equity Investments in European Defence, Security and Strategic Resilience Businesses... Read more »

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are continuing to digest the ever-changing narrative coming out of the conflict in the Middle East but even as hopes of a peace deal rise, the economic overhang still threatens to send shocks across the country. In a speech... Read more »

It occurred to me, while watching predominantly dominant performances from home teams in the round of 16 last weekend, that the Investec Champions Cup needs two-legged quarter-finals. It was a little depressing to watch a depleted Leicester Tigers side who had won just one match in the group phase get... Read more »

A young woman in the US stood up in court and said she spent 16 hours a day on Instagram. It’s a hefty figure, yet a closer look at the platform’s own research into algorithmic design, and how routinely it is used, shows it sits less at the margins than... Read more »

While net zero is an incredibly important economic and sustainability goal, long-term, idealistic agendas like these just cannot come at the expense of short-term economic health – especially when our country is already so frail, says Issac Goldring This week in a rare case of diplomatic nous, President Trump chose... Read more »

Why do so many startups fail? Dr Bernard Bulkin, who has worked in venture capital for 21 years, says there are six main reasons.... Read more »

Labour-linked researchers have slammed Ed Miliband’s net zero drive as the UK’s sky-high energy costs have come under intense scrutiny due to oil trade disruptions from the war in Iran and OpenAI’s decision to put a landmark data centre project in the UK on. Researchers at the Tony Blair Institute... Read more »

Retail footfall jumped in March as Easter boosted shopping activity, but business leaders fear tax and employment costs could yet cause havoc. Total footfall in the UK increased by 2.4 per cent last month, according to trade body the British Retail Consortium (BRC), offering a welcome boost for retailers after... Read more »

Liverpool Street Chophouse & Tavern is not a place for small plates. The portions are generous, the menus come in a reassuringly bold red with gold lettering, the wines are decanted and the atmosphere harkens back to a time when long, bottle-strewn business lunches were still de rigour. Chef Mike... Read more »

Uzbekistan’s national wealth fund has confirmed plans to plough ahead with a London IPO in what will be the country’s first ever public market debut. In an update to the stock exchange on Thursday, the National Investment Fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uznif) announced it expected to float on... Read more »

The number of applications for skilled worker visas has nearly halved in a year after home secretary Shabana Mahmood raised the barriers to entry for migrants.  Official data released by the Home Office showed that there were 34,700 skilled worker visa applications in the year to March.  This was a... Read more »

British taxpayers are bracing for a fresh financial hit as changes to the personal allowance creeps closer. While the personal allowance itself is not changing, remaining frozen at £12,570 until 2031, a subtle change will take effect from the next tax year, as the government places a new lock onto... Read more »