GLP-1 weight-loss pills set to reshape US food demand in 2026

Analysts predict packaged food manufacturers and fast-food eateries may be pushed to alter more of their goods next year when newly licensed appetite-suppressing GLP-1 tablets become accessible in January 2026. The decision comes as more Americans are likely to try the medications in pill form rather than injections, owing to the lower cost and many […]

Agios Pharma jumps 15% as FDA expands use of anaemia drug mitapivat

Shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals surged nearly 15% in premarket trading on Wednesday after the US Food and Drug Administration approved an expanded use of its drug mitapivat, strengthening investor optimism around the company’s growth prospects. The approval allows mitapivat to be used to treat anemia in patients with both non-transfusion-dependent and transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassemia, […]

Nvidia stock plunges after Intel’s 18A move: what does it mean for AI chips?

Nvidia stock (NASDAQ: NVDA) tumbled nearly 1% on Wednesday after reports surfaced that the AI chipmaker has paused testing of Intel’s ambitious 18A manufacturing process. The move marks a significant setback for Intel’s foundry revival strategy and reinforces questions about whether the chip giant can compete with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Both Nvidia and […]

Commodity wrap: gold, silver prices ease on Christmas Eve; oil heads for steepest drop since 2020

Gold prices took a breather on Christmas Eve after rising above the psychologically-crucial level of $4,500 per ounce.  Silver prices also fell slightly on Wednesday, after having hit a series of record highs in the last few weeks. Prices had breached $72.7055 per ounce for the first time ever earlier in the session.  Meanwhile, oil […]

Europe bulletin: FTSE slips, US-EU clash escalates, Secure Trust’s big move

European markets drifted into the Christmas break as thin trading left the FTSE slightly lower, even as the index capped a standout year of outperformance. Politics, meanwhile, moved faster than markets: Washington’s visa bans on EU tech figures sharpened a transatlantic clash over free speech and regulation, while Paris pushed to shape Ukraine’s security future. […]

Wall Street close: S&P 500 ends at record high, Dow gains 289 points

Wall Street closed higher for a fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining approximately 300 points to reach a fresh record high as investors welcomed weaker-than-expected inflation signals. The S&P 500 also hit an intraday record of 6,937 despite mixed breadth, though technology stocks like Nvidia pulled back sharply as […]

Evening digest: Bitcoin drifts as S&P 500 hits record high, Japan seals $3B PE exit

Markets tiptoed into Christmas with records on thin ice. US equities notched fresh highs in a shortened session, Japan saw a landmark private-equity exit under activist pressure, oil rebounded on growth optimism shadowed by geopolitics, and crypto remained stuck in holiday limbo. Precious metals quietly stole the spotlight as uncertainty lingered. Here’s what moved, and […]

Looking back at 2025: the year embedded finance eroded traditional banks’ moat

Banks have enjoyed a formidable moat built on customer relationships, regulatory privilege, and distribution networks for decades. – but that moat was breached in 2025. Embedded finance, the integration of payment, lending, insurance, and investing directly into non-financial platforms, became mainstream this year – shifting the locus of value creation away from banks and toward […]