In a move that could reshape the U.S. custody banking landscape, Bank of New York Mellon Corp $BK has reportedly initiated merger discussions with Northern Trust Corp $NTRS. According to The Wall Street Journal, the two institutions held preliminary conversations last week, although no formal proposal has been submitted and talks remain exploratory.
The depreciation of the U.S. dollar (USD) has triggered a notable resurgence in a long-overlooked asset class: emerging market (EM) local currency debt. After more than a decade of subdued investor interest, funds flowing into EM local-currency bonds hit a record high, according to data from EPFR for the week ending Wednesday.
Shein, the global fast-fashion e-commerce giant, is planning to list its shares in Hong Kong, redirecting its IPO ambitions from London after reportedly failing to secure approval from China's securities regulators. This shift reflects a calculated effort to reduce geopolitical risk and avoid the heightened scrutiny that Western markets are placing on supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing.
Global financial markets are once again navigating conflicting macroeconomic signals. A sharp rise in crude oil prices—triggered by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East—has collided with unexpectedly soft U.S. inflation data, producing a highly uncertain trading environment. These opposing forces are creating friction across asset classes, including commodities, currencies, and equities.
On Wednesday, the U.S. dollar (USD) retreated as investors exercised caution ahead of a key U.S. employment report and ongoing developments in tariff negotiations led by former President Donald Trump. The weakening of the greenback reflects a tense market atmosphere driven by geopolitical uncertainty and protectionist economic policies.
The French government has officially submitted a €410 million ($466 million USD) offer to acquire a portion of Atos SE’s $ATO.PA former Advanced Computing business. This move comes as part of a broader initiative to secure critical technological assets and stabilize one of France’s historically prominent IT firms.
On Tuesday, global oil prices experienced a second decline within the same day amid mounting expectations that OPEC+ — the coalition of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies — will announce a production increase at their upcoming meeting later this week. Brent crude futures fell 24 cents (0.4%) to $64.50 per barrel by 05:07 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures dropped 29 cents (0.5%) to $61.24 per barrel. The decline follows a US market holiday on Monday due to Memorial Day, when WTI contracts were not traded.
Nigeria has announced a transformative industrial initiative aimed at transitioning from the export of raw lithium to local processing and value-added production. In 2025, the country is set to commission two large-scale lithium processing plants with a combined value of $800 million, primarily funded by Chinese investors, including Jiuling Lithium Mining Company and Canmax Technologies $300390.SZ.
Italian tire giant Pirelli & C. S.p.A. $PIRC.MI finds itself navigating complex geopolitical and corporate tensions after its largest shareholder, China's Sinochem, rejected a proposed governance framework aimed at easing regulatory concerns surrounding Pirelli’s expansion into the U.S. market. The disclosure, made by Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera in an interview with Corriere della Sera, underscores the growing sensitivity around Chinese ownership in strategic sectors amid tightening global scrutiny.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into Media Matters for America, a progressive media watchdog, requesting documents related to potential coordination with other organizations overseeing misinformation and hate speech online. The request follows accusations from Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), that these groups orchestrated advertiser boycotts of the platform.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. $UNH, one of the largest healthcare conglomerates in the United States, faced renewed scrutiny on Wednesday following a report by The Guardian alleging that the company engaged in undisclosed financial arrangements with nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers. The revelation, part of a broader pattern of cost-cutting tactics, triggered a premarket drop in UNH stock and raised serious questions about healthcare ethics and patient safety within the Medicare Advantage system.
In 2025, the U.S. oil market has seen a marked deceleration in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. Following a record-breaking 2023, major energy companies are now scaling back on new deals, prioritizing operational optimization and value extraction from previous acquisitions. The downturn in crude oil prices, alongside macroeconomic uncertainty and evolving global trade dynamics, has left the M&A landscape subdued.
