The recent announcement by Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. $BRK-B, that he plans to step down at the end of this year, just months after turning 95, has sent ripples through global equity markets. Shares of the conglomerate have fallen approximately 10% since the May declaration, a decline largely attributed to what investors refer to as the "Buffett premium"—the market valuation surplus reflecting investor confidence in Buffett’s stewardship.
The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has intensified its push to globalize the digital yuan (e-CNY), signaling broader ambitions to challenge the dominance of the U.S. dollar (USD) and promote a multipolar global currency system. At the Lujiazui Forum held in Shanghai, PBoC Governor Pan Gongsheng revealed plans to establish an international operations center for e-CNY in Shanghai, underscoring China's long-term strategy to reposition the yuan (CNY) on the international financial stage.
On Monday, the Rotterdam District Court reaffirmed a pivotal decision from the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), which concluded in 2021 that Apple Inc. $AAPL had abused its dominant market position by enforcing restrictive and anti-competitive conditions on dating app developers using its App Store payment system.
On Friday, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a prominent U.S.-based proxy advisory firm, issued a strong recommendation for investors of Keisei Electric Railway $9009.T to vote against six nominees for the company’s board of directors, including the current CEO. ISS’s stance aligns with UK-based activist investor Palliser Capital, which has long campaigned for governance improvements and capital reallocation at the Japanese railway operator. This development highlights increasing scrutiny by shareholders on management effectiveness and capital strategy in Japan’s public companies.
Novo Nordisk $NOVO-B.CO, the Danish pharmaceutical giant behind the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, announced on Thursday its plan to begin late-stage clinical trials for both injectable and oral formulations of amicretin, a novel GLP-1 analog. These Phase III trials, expected to launch in Q1 2026, will target adults with overweight and obesity, expanding the company’s foothold in the rapidly growing global obesity therapeutics market.
Rigetti Computing $RGTI, a key player in quantum computing, experienced a dramatic surge in bullish options activity, with 193,638 call option contracts traded—five times the average daily volume. The spike in derivative interest signals heightened investor anticipation as Rigetti nears its Q2 earnings report, scheduled for August 7.
The United States and Vietnam are set to hold a new round of trade negotiations by the end of next week, as announced by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade on Thursday. This development follows Hanoi’s submission of a formal response document addressing trade inquiries from the US. The upcoming third round of talks aims to reach a compromise before the impending expiration of the current 46% “reciprocal” tariffs imposed on Vietnamese exports to the US, scheduled for early July. The urgency underscores the increasing economic and geopolitical significance of US-Vietnam trade relations amid global market volatility.
Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR is set to finalize new oil and gas exploration agreements, including potential collaborations with Exxon Mobil $XOM and BP $BP. This strategic move comes as the country intensifies efforts to expand its hydrocarbon output and export capacity, particularly in natural gas, as part of a broader geopolitical and economic agenda.
Japan’s Ministry of Finance conducted a crucial auction of 40-year government bonds on Wednesday, selling approximately JPY 500 billion (~USD 3.46 billion). The auction’s poor performance underscored growing unease about Japan’s sovereign debt outlook, as the bond market continues to grapple with concerns over budget deficits and global interest rate volatility. This event highlights the fragility in long-term sovereign debt markets and echoes warnings from major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs.
Morocco’s leading mining company, Managem Group $MNGPF, reported a significant year-on-year revenue increase of 20% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching MAD 2.32 billion (approximately USD 250 million). The performance was largely driven by strong global price momentum in precious metals and industrial commodities, particularly gold, silver, copper, and cobalt.
Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet Aviation JSC has placed a fresh order for 20 Airbus A330neo wide-body aircraft, strengthening its long-term expansion strategy and fleet modernization plans. The announcement came as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Hanoi for bilateral discussions with Vietnam’s leadership, reinforcing economic and industrial ties between the two countries.
Walt Disney Company $DIS has launched legal action to halt Alphabet’s $GOOGL YouTube from appointing Justin Connolly as their Global Head of Media and Sports. The dispute emerged shortly after YouTube announced Connolly’s new role on Thursday, sparking an immediate response from Disney, which filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday evening.
