Markets & Money Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!

Asian stock markets displayed mixed results on Friday, with U.S. futures showing gains and oil prices slightly dipping. Investors are closely monitoring upcoming economic reports to influence central bank decisions. Japans Nikkei index fell by 1.2% due to a larger-than-expected drop in household spending. Technology shares, like chip makers, were significantly impacted. Traders are cautious ahead of a key U.S. inflation report, which could affect the Federal Reserves policy. Chinas markets were also cautious, awaiting important economic data next week. South Koreas Kospi index rose by 1.1%, with LG Electronics and Hyundai Motors seeing good gains. The U.S. stock market maintained its calm run, with the S&P 500 edging up slightly and investors hoping for a Fed interest rate cut to support the job market.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Turkish fintech platform Paribu makes waves with its acquisition of majority stake in CoinMENA, a cryptocurrency platform based in Bahrain and Dubai. This $240 million deal marks Turkeys largest fintech transaction and Paribus first cross-border purchase, signaling a strategic expansion into the Middle East and North Africa region. Yasin Oral, Paribus CEO, hails this as a turning point, enabling broader licensed operations and solidifying their global strategy in a crypto-adoptive market.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bank of Japan is poised to raise interest rates for the first time since 1995, potentially increasing the benchmark rate to 0.75%. This decision is contingent on no major economic shocks and is expected to be a measured adjustment rather than aggressive tightening. Market expectations surged after Governor Kazuo Ueda hinted at an appropriate decision on interest rates. Key government members also indicated support for the potential rate hike in December. The central bank believes their economic outlook is more likely to materialize due to clearer impacts from US tariffs and sustained corporate profits. They view this rate hike as an adjustment to monetary easing, not a tightening, as financial conditions are expected to remain supportive for the economy.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gold and silver are outpacing Bitcoin this year, with returns of sixty and eighty-six percent respectively, while Bitcoin is in the red. This shift is due to anticipation of the Federal Reserves interest rate decision and concerns about currency debasement and inflation. Despite Bitcoins current underperformance, analysts predict it will eventually align with global liquidity and equity markets once its order books stabilize.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hashed predicts a structured crypto future by 2026, with digital assets acting as real economies. Stablecoins as global payment systems and AI agents participating independently are key. Asia leads this change, with regulated stablecoin trials and AI agent uses. Hashed focuses on foundational layers, investing in teams with actual users and consistent blockchain activity. Stablecoins, on-chain credit, and automation infrastructure show sustained growth, especially in Asia, where regulators are creating rules for integration with existing financial systems. AI is expected to speed up this transition. Hashed aims to invest in these areas for a future with stable and verifiable demand for digital assets.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baidus AI chip unit, Kunlunxin, plans Hong Kong IPO, aiming for early 2027 completion. Recent funding round valued company at $2.97 billion. Kunlunxin, started in 2012, now independently operated with Baidu holding majority stake. Revenue expected to surpass $350 million this year, aiming to break even. Half of 2025 revenue projected from external sales, with advanced chips like P800 gaining traction in data center projects. New AI chips, M100 and M300, set for 2026 and 2027 launches.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chinas exports likely surged in November, following a dip in October, due to a trade truce with the US. This deal, struck in late October, allowed Chinese exporters to push their products into the market. Economists predict a three point eight percent year-on-year rise in outbound shipments, up from Octobers contraction. Despite this, manufacturers continue to explore new markets due to slowing global growth and trade barriers. Chinas November trade surplus is expected to increase to one hundred point one five billion dollars, but remains below this years average.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Netflix Leads Bidding War for Warner Brothers Discovery Assets: A High-Stakes Media ShowdownNetflix has reportedly submitted the highest offer so far for Warner Brothers Discoverys studio and streaming assets, valuing the company at around twenty-eight dollars per share. This bid comes amidst a fierce bidding war, with Paramount also putting in a new offer of approximately twenty-seven dollars per share. The intense competition has caught the attention of Hollywood, with iconic brands like HBO and DC Comics at stake. Despite no public comments from the companies involved, leaks suggest Netflix is currently in the lead, potentially favoring them over other bidders. This situation could significantly reshape the entertainment landscape, impacting how we consume movies and television for years to come.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we look ahead to 2026, Anglogold Ashantis stock has surged by nearly 265% this year, driven by a gold price rebound and a generous dividend yield. With global uncertainty and central banks diversifying away from the US dollar, golds outlook appears positive, promising record cash flows for gold miners like Anglogold.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moore Threads Explosive Debut: Chinas Semiconductor Sector Surges - The Chinese graphics processing unit maker, often dubbed Chinas Nvidia, saw its shares skyrocket by over 400% on its first day of trading in Shanghai. With a massive $1.1 billion listing, investors showed immense confidence, driving the stock price to over five times its initial public offering price. This surge comes as more Chinese chipmakers enter the AI processor market, aiming to fill the gap left by US restrictions on high-performance graphics processing units. Enflame Technology and Biren Technology are also joining the fray, intensifying competition in the multi-billion dollar market previously dominated by Nvidia. Chinas push for technological independence is evident in its approval of more semiconductor initial public offerings, highlighting the rapidly evolving global technology landscape.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Californias oil industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with production declining from 760,000 barrels per day in 2000 to 250,000 barrels per day in 2025. This decline, coupled with the states commitment to reducing carbon emissions, has led to increased reliance on imported oil and refined products, driving up prices and market instability. The states cap-and-trade program, while generating billions for clean energy projects, has been criticized for keeping emissions reduction incentives low. President Trumps executive order challenging Californias cap-and-trade program and plans to expand federal oil and gas leasing have added to the regulatory complexity. The refining sector is also feeling the impact, with the number of operational refineries falling from 20 in 2010 to 12 in 2025, leading to higher and more volatile fuel prices. This shift not only affects California but also poses challenges for Alaska, whose crude oil has historically been primarily sold to California.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lean hog futures closed higher on Thursday, with contracts gaining between fifty-seven cents and one dollar and five cents. The USDAs national base hog price also rose, reaching seventy-two dollars and sixty-five cents. However, the USDAs Export Sales report showed a decline in pork bookings, totaling twenty-eight thousand five hundred twenty-six metric tons, a twenty-six and a half percent decrease from the previous week. The pork carcass cutout value decreased by sixty-nine cents, with picnic and ham cuts being the only ones to report higher prices. Despite this, hog futures are seeing upward movement due to increased slaughter numbers, which reached one million nine hundred forty-three thousand head, ten thousand one hundred twenty-seven head more than the same week last year.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soybean prices ticked up on Thursday, with cash prices also rising. The USDA reported mixed export sales, with China making its first appearance. Statistics Canada forecasted increased canola production but decreased soybean production. Brazils soybean exports saw a dip in November but are expected to surge in December.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live cattle futures closed higher, with cash trading starting at two hundred twenty to two hundred eighteen dollars. Feeder cattle futures also rebounded, with the CME Feeder Cattle Index reaching a new high. Beef exports saw a four-week high in sales but a low point in shipments. Brazils beef exports for November surged, and domestic wholesale boxed beef prices dropped. The estimated cattle slaughter for Thursday was one hundred twenty-one thousand head, marking a significant increase from the previous week.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corn prices surged today, with futures contracts rising by three to four cents and the December contract gaining six and a quarter cents. The national average cash price also increased by four cents to four dollars and two and three-quarter cents. The US Department of Agriculture announced significant private export sales to Colombia and Mexico, highlighting international demand. Export sales data for the week ending October thirtieth showed a total of one point nine nine million metric tons of corn sold, the third largest weekly total for the current marketing year. Brazils corn exports for November increased by six point four eight percent year-over-year but dropped twenty-two point five eight percent from the previous month. Projections for December estimate higher shipments than last year. Statistics Canada forecasted a three point one percent decrease in Canadian corn production for the two thousand twenty-five season.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wheat Market Update: Mixed Performance, Increased Production EstimatesTodays wheat market saw a mix of gains and losses. Chicago soft red winter wheat futures rose by two to three cents, while Kansas City hard red winter wheat futures gained four to five cents. However, Minneapolis spring wheat contracts dropped by three to four cents. The USDAs weekly export sales report showed a three-week high for new bookings, with 505,415 metric tons of wheat sold. Statistics Canada updated its wheat production estimates, projecting a significant increase of 3.3 million metric tons to 39.96 million metric tons. The December twenty-five Chicago Board of Trade wheat contract closed at $5.41, up 3.25 cents, and the December twenty-five Kansas City Board of Trade wheat contract closed at $5.295, up 8.5 cents.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cotton prices took a hit yesterday, plummeting by thirty to thirty-eight points despite an initial rise. This came as crude oil futures surged and the US dollar index edged up. Export sales data showed a significant slowdown, with only eighty-one thousand, five hundred and thirty running bales of upland cotton sold. Shipments also decreased, reaching a three-week low. An online auction reported ten thousand, seven hundred and fifty-eight bales sold at an average price of fifty-nine point six-six cents per pound. The Cotlook A Index also fell by fifteen points. Despite these setbacks, the Adjusted World Price saw a fifty-one point jump to fifty-one point two-eight cents per pound.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LG Electronics and Microsoft in talks for potential partnership, focusing on data centers; no formal deal signed yet, despite speculation and reports of LG supplying components and software.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Costcos Board Nomination: A Strategic Move Amidst Trade ChallengesCostco Wholesale has nominated Gina Raimondo, former Commerce Secretary and Rhode Island Governor, to its board. This comes as Costco challenges trade policies, filing a lawsuit for tariff refunds and seeking to halt further duties. Raimondos expertise in global business and politics is expected to benefit the board. Her warning about the difficulty of removing tariffs adds complexity to the companys strategic moves and government policy interactions.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OPEC Plus Unveils New Production Assessment System: A Turning Point in Oil Market ManagementOPEC Plus, the oil-producing nations group, has introduced a new production assessment system, set to impact oil production, investments, and prices for years. Starting in 2027, this system will determine production quotas, aiming for transparency and fairness. A U.S.-based firm will assess most members, with Russia and Venezuela using non-U.S. firms. Irans baseline will be determined by its average production in August, September, and October 2026. This move is expected to encourage members to maintain or boost production capacity, potentially increasing OPECs long-term influence on the oil market.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.