Analysis: Indices

South Africa's auto sector hit by job losses and company closures

GQEBERHA, South Africa -Low domestic sales of locally made cars, an influx of imports and low levels of local content have led to 12 company closures and over 4,000 job losses in the South African...

De Beers announces kimberlite field discovery in Angola

De Beers' joint venture in Angola has discovered a new kimberlite field, the most common source of mined diamonds, it said on Tuesday, its first such discovery in three decades. The...

Russian diamond maker Alrosa flags high rates, inflation pressure as revenue falls

Russia's sanctions-hit diamond producer Alrosa reported a 25% fall in first-half revenue on Tuesday, warning that geopolitics and macroeconomic uncertainties were weighing on demand as high interest...

Switzerland wants binding Trump commitment on gold tariffs, lobby group says

U.S. President Donald Trump's statement on not putting tariffs on gold has sent an encouraging signal for trade stability but only a formal decision will provide certainty, the head of the Swiss...

Comex aluminium premiums beyond August dip on US tariff rollback bets

LONDON -Prices of aluminium premium contracts on Comex exchange beyond August have fallen due to some speculation that tariffs on U.S. imports of the metal could be halved or that top supplier Canada...

Hartree in talks to buy major cocoa trader Touton, sources say

LONDON/PARIS -Global energy and commodities trader Hartree Partners is in talks to acquire French agro-industrial firm Touton, which trades nearly 10% of the world's cocoa, two sources with direct...

Chinese Chery's Omoda, Jaecoo brands launch in Iraq with Jameel as distributor

Jameel Motors has signed a deal to distribute automaker Chery's Omoda and Jaecoo brands in Iraq, the two companies said on Monday, joining other Chinese companies that have entered the country's...

HSBC raises silver price outlook on gold strength, geopolitical risks

HSBC has lifted its silver price forecasts for 2025, 2026, and 2027, citing strong support from high gold prices and safe-haven demand in the face of geopolitical and economic uncertainty. ...

Switzerland says tariff talks with US continue, gold industry concerned about bullion trade

ZURICH -Switzerland is continuing discussions with the United States about reducing potentially crippling import duties, its government said on Friday, as the country's gold industry warned exports...

EM central banks plough on with easing in July as major peers linger

LONDON -Emerging market central banks implemented their largest rate-cutting push in years in July, while their developed market counterparts held steady as uncertainty over U.S. trade and tariff...

Russia's Gazprom denounces Moldova move to alter gas supply system

Russian gas giant Gazprom on Thursday denounced a move by Moldova's gas authority to withdraw the licence from its local subsidiary for distributing gas, saying the move damaged its affiliate and...

Trump's higher tariffs hit major US trading partners, sparking defiance and concern

U.S. President Donald Trump's higher tariffs on imports from dozens of countries kicked in on Thursday, raising the average U.S. import duty to its highest in a century and leaving major trade...

Switzerland facing 39% US tariff as president leaves Washington empty-handed

WASHINGTON/ZURICH -Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter left Washington empty-handed on Wednesday after a hastily arranged trip to avert a crippling 39% tariff on the country's exports to the United...

Thomson Reuters reports higher second-quarter revenue, AI helps drive growth

NEW YORK -Thomson Reuters reported higher revenue for the second quarter, during which it launched new AI features in its tax and accounting and legal divisions. The Toronto-based...

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners tempers annual revenue forecast on Indonesia weakness

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners tempered its annual revenue forecast on Wednesday, citing softer demand in Indonesia due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and a challenging macroeconomic...

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...

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...

European Q2 corporate profit outlook improves after U.S. trade deal

The outlook for European corporate health has further improved, the latest earnings forecasts showed on Tuesday, after the European Union struck a framework trade deal with the U.S. a little more...

Aurubis earnings beat forecasts as copper supply remains tight

Aurubis on Tuesday reported higher-than-expected core profit for the first nine months of its 2024-2025 financial year, helped by higher contributions from sulfuric acid, copper products and precious...