GMT EIGHT - World News

The market calmly faces Trump returning to the White House, and the Bank of Japan moves towards raising interest rates.

In a relatively calm response from global financial markets to Trump's return to the White House, the Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates to their highest level since 2008 this Friday. Sources revealed earlier this month that Bank of Japan officials believed it was highly probable to raise interest rates unless Trump brought too many negative surprises upon taking office. In addition, sources indicated that Japanese government officials would also support the actions of the Bank of Japan this week after Trump's inauguration ceremony. If the Bank of Japan announces the interest rate hike as expected by the market on Friday, it will be the third rate hike in less than 12 months. Prior to March of last year, the Bank of Japan had not raised rates for 17 years. Currently, the Bank of Japan is steadily moving towards monetary policy normalization, while the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are contemplating pausing their easing cycles. However, even after raising rates, Japan's borrowing costs will still be the lowest among developed countries. Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's envisioned path for further rate hikes may be a key focus on Friday. Given the global market turmoil caused by the unexpected rate hike in July last year, Kuroda's communication with the market will continue to be closely watched. Early Tuesday, the Japanese yen was the only currency among the Group of Ten (G10) currencies to rise against the U.S. dollar, as traders bet that Trump's first wave of tariff attacks would not deter the potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan. Chotaro Morita, Chief Strategist at All Nippon Asset Management Co., stated, "The Bank of Japan will raise rates. There was no major shock on Trump's first day in office, and the stock market did not collapse." Ahead of this week's policy meeting, the Bank of Japan has sent unusually clear signals indicating that it may take action to raise interest rates. Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya stated in a speech to Yokohama business leaders last Tuesday that the Policy Board would discuss the possibility of a rate hike this week. Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda also hinted at considering a rate hike at the meeting this week and suggested increased confidence in wage growth, reinforcing market expectations for an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan. Overnight index swaps indicate that the likelihood of the Bank of Japan raising rates on Friday exceeded 90% as of Wednesday morning, up from 41% at the end of December. Meanwhile, a survey released last week showed that around 74% of the 53 economists surveyed predicted that the Bank of Japan would raise rates by the end of this week's meeting. In the event that the Bank of Japan does not take action despite these expectations, its signaling strategy may face significant criticism and could once again trigger market turmoil. Meanwhile, as the policy interest rate approaches the ultimate rate anticipated by Bank of Japan policymakers, observers are more likely to seek signs of further rate hikes. Hirofumi Suzuki, Chief FX Strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities, stated, "The baseline scenario may be an increase every six months. The Bank of Japan is not expected to raise rates quickly." Sources also revealed that the Bank of Japan may raise its quarterly inflation expectations at this week's meeting. This would indicate that after living costs have remained near the central bank's target level for the past three years, they are expected to continue at this level over the next two years. Hours before the Bank of Japan announces its rate decision, Japan's December national CPI will be released. The market currently expects Japan's December national CPI to rise 3.4% year-on-year, with core CPI rising 3%. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has not yet finalized his spending plan. His minority government needs enough opposition support to ensure the annual budget is passed in March. The Bank of Japan's rate hike this week will fundamentally eliminate the complexity of its monetary policy negotiations. Leaders of major Japanese companies have also expressed no opposition to the possible rate hike. Masakazu Tokura, Chairman of Japan's largest business lobby, the Keidanren, stated that it is normal for the Bank of Japan to review its interest rate policy given that the inflation rate has been above 2% for some time. These developments may come as a relief to the Bank of Japan, which faced strong opposition when it raised rates in the early 21st century. At the post-rate decision press conference, Kuroda may try to retain flexibility in his choices while cautiously advancing the Bank of Japan's efforts towards the normalization of monetary policy for the first time in nearly 20 years. Kuroda acknowledges the challenges of communication with the market due to the uncertainty of the Bank of Japan's final rate. While 90% of economists believe the economic conditions in Japan justify a rate hike this month, many also argue that the weakness of the yen is a major factor driving the increase in borrowing costs, and this will continue in the future when rates rise. However, traders' expectations for a weaker yen following the Bank of Japan's rate hike this week have hardly changed, as the interest rate differential between Japan and the United States remains significant. Analysis of data from the Tokyo Financial Exchange, the Japan Financial Futures Association, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission by the media shows that total yen short positions held by individual investors in Japan, as well as by overseas hedge funds and asset management companies, have increased by 54% to $13.7 billion. Daisuke Karakama, Chief Market Economist at Mizuho Bank, stated, "Even if the Bank of Japan raises rates, the momentum for a stronger yen may be limited, as ending rate cuts has become a focus for the Federal Reserve. The market will sooner or later demand another rate hike by selling the yen, and this is likely."

17 min ago

AI text coding startup StackBlitz is in discussions for a new round of financing with a valuation of $700 million.

The CEO of the artificial intelligence text encoding startup StackBlitz, Eric Simons, has announced that the company is in final negotiations with investors to secure funding at a valuation of $700 million. Eric Simons stated that the company will raise $83.5 million in a deal led by Emergence Capital and GV (formerly Google Ventures), with participation from Madrona Venture Group, Conviction, and Mantis. Additionally, PitchBook data shows that StackBlitz's other investors include Flex Capital, Greylock Partners, and Tribe Capital. Established in 2017, StackBlitz is a web development software startup that has recently found its niche with the launch of its new artificial intelligence product, Bolt.new. Bolt.new is a platform that utilizes AI to help build websites. Eric Simons mentioned that the platform was launched in October last year and already has nearly 1 million users each month, experiencing growth through word-of-mouth. He added that this service brings in tens of millions of dollars in recurring revenue for the startup each year. Eric Simons highlighted the appeal of the platform, stating that even those with limited technical expertise can use it to create something. Users can describe the application they want in natural language and create complex web applications without any coding experience. He mentioned that in some ways, StackBlitz competes with the development technology company Replit. Emergence Capital's General Partner Joe Floyd will join StackBlitz's board of directors in this funding round. Joe Floyd noted that the company's revenue has rapidly grown in the three months since the launch of their new product, outpacing the growth of Zoom, Salesforce, or any of their previous investments. He mentioned that both technical and non-technical users are utilizing the tool. GV's General Partner Erik Nordlander stated that this startup makes software development easier and added, "There's no faster way to develop applications than with their flagship product."

1 h ago

With a scale of up to $500 billion! Trump officially announces the "Stargate" AI infrastructure project led by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle.

President Trump appeared at the White House with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Oracle Corporation Chairman Larry Ellison to announce that the private sector will make massive investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the United States. Trump announced an AI infrastructure investment plan called "Stargate." He stated that these three companies will each contribute $100 billion as startup capital, with the investment amount increasing to $500 billion over the next four years, starting with a data center in Texas. Trump stated that the Stargate project will build physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of AI, including data centers across the country. He also mentioned that the project is the largest AI infrastructure project in history. Microsoft Corporation, Arm, and NVIDIA Corporation are reported to be participating as technical partners in the project. The Middle East AI fund MGX will invest with SoftBank. In a statement, OpenAI said, "The Stargate project plans to invest $500 billion in the United States to build new AI infrastructure for OpenAI over the next four years. We will start deploying $100 billion immediately. This infrastructure will ensure American leadership in AI, create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S., and bring significant economic benefits to the world. The project will not only support American reindustrialization but also provide strategic capabilities to protect the security of the United States and its allied countries." OpenAI added that SoftBank and OpenAI are the main partners of Stargate, with SoftBank handling finances and OpenAI managing operations; Masayoshi Son will serve as chairman of Stargate. As part of Stargate, Oracle Corporation, NVIDIA Corporation, and OpenAI will collaborate closely to build and operate the computing system. OpenAI also stated that, by continuing to collaborate with Microsoft Corporation and utilizing additional computing power to train leading models and provide excellent products and services, OpenAI will increase its consumption of Azure. Boosted by this news, Oracle Corporation rose 7.17% on Tuesday, followed by another 6% rise after hours; NVIDIA Corporation rose 2.27%, followed by a 1% rise after hours; Arm rose 3.98%, followed by another 4% rise after hours. Analysts believe that as the lead in this project, OpenAI can gain access to a large amount of data center computing resources through collaboration, Oracle Corporation stands to become a key infrastructure provider, SoftBank gains entry to this significant project with its financial strength. Trump Eases AI Regulation On January 20, local time, Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. That day, he signed over 40 executive orders and revoked nearly 80 executive orders and memoranda signed by former President Biden. Among the many executive orders revoked by Trump from former President Biden, those related to AI regulation were particularly notable. The executive order was signed by Biden in 2023, aimed at reducing the risks that AI systems pose to consumers, workers, and national security. According to reports, the executive order signed by Biden requires developers of AI systems that pose risks to U.S. national security, economy, public health, or safety to share security test results with the U.S. government before releasing them to the public under the Defense Production Act; the order also instructs agencies to set testing standards and address related risks in chemical, biological, radiological, cyber, and network security. The move announced by Trump on Monday immediately halted crucial security and transparency requirements for AI developers. Reportedly, Trump did not immediately specify what would replace this order, but the government may take a less interventionist approach. American defense policy political scientist Sarah Kreps and Hamid Ekbia, a professor of public affairs at Syracuse University, predict that major AI regulations will not be rolled out by the White House in the next four years. They suggest that Trump's election likely signals the arrival of a light-touch regulatory regime - one that relies on applying existing laws rather than creating new ones, which may empower state governments, especially Democratic strongholds like California, to fill gaps with more courage. However, Trump did not completely reject Biden's AI policies. Before leaving office, Biden issued another executive order requiring federal support to address the significant energy requirements of AI data centers. Trump did not rescind this order. The Trump team has brought in well-known tech figures, including Elon Musk and venture capitalist David Sacks, to help shape its technology and artificial intelligence policies. Analysts believe that the extent to which Trump's AI strategy ultimately relaxes may partly depend on Musk's influence. Musk has long held nuanced views on artificial intelligence technology. Although Musk has invested in AI through his startup xAI, he has also repeatedly warned that AI could pose a threat to human survival if not controlled.

2 h ago

Greenlight Capital founder: Speculative behavior in the cryptocurrency field has exceeded common sense

David Einhorn, founder of Greenlight Capital, stated in a letter to investors that speculative behavior in the current bull market has surpassed common sense. He wrote, "We have entered the 'Fartcoin' stage." Einhorn pointed out that cryptocurrencies like "Fartcoin" have no apparent practical use other than trading and speculation, and do not meet any other unmet needs. However, this cryptocurrency, originating from internet memes, quickly gained popularity after Donald Trump was elected president, with market sentiment soaring. Now, the market value of "Fartcoin" has approached nearly $2 billion, surpassing many companies listed in the United States. With the popularity of "Fartcoin", more meme coins have emerged. Trump released the meme coin "$TRUMP" based on the Solana platform, which briefly surpassed $14 billion in market value over the weekend. Although $TRUMP fell by over 20% at one point in the past 24 hours, it has since reduced the drop to about 3%. Trump's wife, Melania, also launched her own cryptocurrency. Einhorn jokingly remarked, "Nothing can stop the launch of more tradable currencies. Perhaps we are leaving the 'Fartcoin' stage and entering the 'Trump (and Melania) meme coin' stage. What will happen next is unpredictable, but it feels like a carnival." At the time Einhorn's letter was published, investors were driving up the stock market in anticipation of tax cuts and relaxed regulatory policies under the Trump administration. On Tuesday, the day after Trump took office, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose over 400 points, while the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose by 0.8% and 0.7% respectively. In the "crazy stage" of the cryptocurrency market, Greenlight Capital profited by shorting some exchange-traded funds (ETFs) indirectly related to Bitcoin. The company specifically focused on two ETFs: T-Rex 2X Long MSTR Daily Target ETF (MSTU.US) and Defiance Daily Target 2X Long MSTR ETF (MSTX.US). These funds use derivatives to attempt to achieve double the daily return of MicroStrategy (MSTR.US). However, due to the high volatility of MicroStrategy and a shortage of derivatives supply, these funds have struggled to meet their expected targets. Greenlight Capital profited in this quarter by shorting these funds, while also engaging in arbitrage trading by holding MicroStrategy stock, resulting in "significant gains."

6 h ago

US Treasury Bonds Suffer Worst Performance in Nearly a Century, Future May Bring Investment Opportunities

US Treasury bonds are experiencing their worst performance in nearly a century. For investors willing to bet on falling interest rates, this may be a major buying opportunity, but for investors seeking only safe, stable diversification, this is undoubtedly bad news. For a long time, investors have relied on Treasury bonds to provide stable returns to hedge against the high volatility of stocks. However, over the past decade, long-term Treasury bonds have shown negative returns for the first time. According to recent research data from Bank of America Securities, this situation is the first since the 1930s. A team led by Bank of America analyst Michael Hartnett stated, "We are now at the peak of 'anything is better than Treasury bonds'." The research shows that over the past decade, the return on long-term bonds with a maturity of 15 years or more has been -0.5%, the worst performance since the mid-1930s. In comparison, US stocks have averaged a yearly return of 13% over the past decade, while short-term bond returns have been 1.8% annually. The slow economic recovery following the 2008-2009 financial crisis is to blame. At that time, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates low by purchasing long-term Treasury bonds, a policy that continued into the 2010s. While this measure helped the US economy return to growth, investors suffered significant losses when the Fed raised rates post-pandemic to curb inflation. It is important to note that bond prices move in the opposite direction to interest rates. Despite poor performance over the past decade, the potential of Treasury bonds in the future should not be ignored. Currently, the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds has risen to 4.57%, more than double what it was a decade ago. This means that if rates continue to rise, bond investors still have a higher buffer for total returns. Additionally, if rates fall, bond investors could see a significant rebound. Given high stock market valuations, investment institutions like Vanguard and Goldman Sachs have recently predicted that bonds may outperform stocks over the next decade. Bank of America is also optimistic about investment opportunities in the bond market. Bank of America recommends constructing a "low-risk" bond portfolio with a balanced allocation to three-month Treasury bonds, 30-year Treasury bonds, investment-grade corporate bonds, high-yield bonds, and emerging market bonds. Currently, the portfolio yields approximately 5.7%. If bond yields drop by one percentage point, the total return on the portfolio within a year could reach 12%. However, for investors unwilling to bet on interest rate movements, they hope that bonds can act as a stabilizer against stock volatility. Faced with continued rising long-term rates and some decline in short-term rates, the predictions of a bond rebound may not be comforting to these investors. An alternative strategy is to reduce bond allocations and shift towards stocks and cash instruments, as their yields are currently comparable to long-term bonds. However, investors need to ensure they hold enough short-term assets to cope with potential market downturns or unemployment crises. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management suggests further diversifying investment risks through globalization and alternative investments. Chief Investment Officer Lisa Shalett pointed out in a report on Monday that the US stock market is currently overvalued, and the sensitivity of bond yields has weakened the hedging effect of Treasury bonds. She recommends that investors look into undervalued foreign stocks, as well as alternative assets such as master limited partnerships (MLPs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), and preferred stocks.

6 h ago

On Trump's inauguration day, the US dollar weakened. The market is concerned about the prospects of tariff policies.

According to analysis from Bank of America Global Research, the US dollar showed weakness on President Trump's inauguration day and continued to be under pressure on Tuesday. This is mainly due to Trump not declaring a "trade deficit emergency" in his inauguration speech and not immediately implementing new tariffs, leading to a partial reduction in the market's risk premium on the US dollar. In a report on interest rates and exchange rates released on Tuesday, Bank of America pointed out that due to the lack of a clear timeline for tariff increases by the Trump administration, there is still a certain level of uncertainty in the market. "Even if the tariff policy is delayed, it could still become an important policy pillar of the new government." Investors are closely monitoring Trump's tariff policy to assess the potential impact on US and international economic growth and inflation. Bank of America tracks the gap between the US dollar and the implied level of its interest rate differential. Interest rate differentials are an important fundamental driver of the US dollar trend, with investors typically preferring currencies with higher or rising yields. The current strength of the US dollar exceeds what can be explained by interest rate differentials, which the market interprets as reflecting "tariff risk premium." The dollar's decline on Monday reflected the partial unwinding of the risk premium, but the market still retains some tariff risk premium. As of Tuesday afternoon, the ICE US Dollar Index (DXY) fell by 1.2%, accumulating a decline of about 0.4% since the beginning of the year. Nevertheless, the dollar has still risen by approximately 4.6% in the past 12 months. Bank of America's global research strategist warns that recent selling of the dollar could trigger unwinding risks for commodity trading advisors (CTAs) as the dollar approaches CTA stop loss levels. However, UBS Global Wealth Management stated in a report on January 14th that they expect the dollar to maintain "longer-term strength" in the first half of 2025, due to the strong economic activity in the US and concerns about tariffs in other global regions. In his inauguration speech, Trump announced national emergencies at the southern border and in energy, but did not mention any new tariff measures. He later told reporters in the Oval Office that his administration is considering imposing a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada starting from February 1st. Meanwhile, the US stock market generally rose on Tuesday afternoon, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising by 1.24%, the S&P 500 rising by 0.88%, and the Nasdaq Composite rising by 0.64%. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury bond fell by about 4 basis points to 4.57%, while the yield on the 2-year Treasury bond remained steady at 4.28%.

6 h ago

The latest trading strategy of the "Congress Mountain Stock God" revealed! Stock selection logic focuses on AI: covering tech giants, AI applications, and electricity.

A new congressional stock trading record form submitted by Nancy Pelosi, a US congresswoman with the moniker "Stock God of Capitol Hill," shows that she significantly increased her holdings of equity derivatives in Alphabet Inc. Class C (GOOGL.US), Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN.US), and several other large US tech giants at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, as well as choosing to allocate new funds to Tempus AI (TEM.US) and Vistra Energy (VST.US), two "new forces in AI investment" that have also benefitted greatly from the AI investment boom. According to the congressional document, Congresswoman Pelosi, representing California's 11th district, purchased 50 call options tracking Alphabet Inc. Class C with a strike price of $150, expiring on January 16, 2026, with a holdings value between $250,001 and $500,000. This transaction took place on January 14, 2025. She also purchased 50 call options tracking Amazon.com, Inc. stock, with the same strike price of $150 and expiry date of January 16, 2026, with a holdings value between $250,001 and $500,000. This transaction also took place on January 14, 2025. Undoubtedly, Alphabet Inc. Class C and Amazon.com, Inc., the two major US tech giants, have been the biggest winners of the unparalleled "AI investment wave" since 2023. Alphabet Inc. Class C has been a leader in the generative AI field since 2023, with its Gemini large model constantly integrating into various edge applications and developers leveraging Alphabet Inc. Class C's cloud to develop enterprise or consumer AI applications. Amazon.com, Inc., with a market value of $2.4 trillion, has seen its stock price reach record highs since 2024, with a 50% increase in 2024 alone. AWS, Amazon.com, Inc.'s cloud computing sector, leads the market in cloud computing, attracting a large number of enterprise customers with its low-tech development model for AI applications. On the other hand, Apple Inc., which has not been able to leverage Apple Intelligence to boost iPhone sales, has been dumped by "Stock God of Capitol Hill" Pelosi. Observers in the market say that Pelosi's logic in buying Apple Inc. was based on the expectation that AI would drive a new wave of "iPhone upgrades." However, the latest sales data shows that Apple Intelligence has not boosted sales, and the lack of a local partner for Apple Intelligence in the Chinese market has led to a significant decline in iPhone sales in China. Therefore, Pelosi no longer sees Apple Inc. as a beneficiary of the AI boom. Congressional statistics show that Pelosi sold 31,600 shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) on December 31, 2024, with the sale amount in the range of $5 million to $25 million. Pelosi also adjusted her holdings in NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA.US), the "AI chip leader" and one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI investment boom. She sold 10,000 shares on December 31, 2024, with the sale amount between $1 million and $5 million. However, she also exercised 500 call options on December 20, 2024, purchased at a strike price of $12 on November 22, 2023, with an expiry date of December 20, 2024. Pelosi also purchased NVIDIA Corporation stock worth between $250,000 and $500,000 on January 14, 2025, highlighting her confidence in the future performance and stock price growth potential of the AI chip leader, although her holdings have begun to lean slightly towards caution. Three "new forces" benefiting from the AI investment boom receive approval from the "Stock God of Capitol Hill" The 84-year-old congresswoman also bought shares in Palo Alto Networks (PANW.US), an important player in the cybersecurity field, with a cumulative purchase value between $1 million and $5 million. In the epic wave of global corporate AI technology deployment, US stock market cybersecurity giants are also focusing on integrating revolutionary generative AI technology with cybersecurity technology, which may be one of the core drivers pushing companies to increase their subscriptions to cybersecurity services. Palo Alto, one of the "AI bull stocks," widely applies generative AI and other advanced AI technologies in the cybersecurity field to enhance threat detection and response capabilities. The company focuses on low-tech operations.The "AI+ network security service" with low thresholds and efficient integration of various professional modules has won praise from the vast majority of customers. Precision AI integrates various professional modules of Palo Alto Networks, such as Strata, Prisma, and Cortex, and uses generative AI to automatically coordinate the operations of these modules.The latest statistics from Congress show that Pelosi has chosen to buy shares of the medical technology company Tempus AI (TEM.US), which focuses on "artificial intelligence + healthcare". The cumulative purchase value ranges from $50,001 to $100,000. Tempus AI is a company focused on driving medical development through technology, particularly with significant influence in the areas of cancer treatment and personalized medical technology. The technological platform combines generative artificial intelligence (generative AI), machine learning (ML), genomics, and clinical data analysis to advance the field of precision medicine. Tempus AI focuses on combining genomic data with clinical data, using artificial intelligence and big data analysis to provide personalized treatment plans. After the news of Pelosi's purchase of Tempus AI came out, the stock surged over 20% in pre-market trading. Benefiting from the AI investment boom, the giant American Electric Power Company, Inc. favored by "Congressional Stock God" Pelosi, has accumulated purchases ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000, with different purchase dates. As AI applications like ChatGPT sweep the globe, the energy demand of major data centers around the world is so huge that some utility stocks that have long been overlooked by the market have entered the sights of top Wall Street investment institutions this year. The global demand for AI training/inference closely related to AI computing power is accelerating, and the demand for power resources by data centers, which are already "power-hungry beasts", is expected to continue to surge in the coming years. Behind the exponential expansion of energy-intensive AI data centers driven by the demand for AI chips, is the core foundation of power supply, which is the origin of the market viewpoint that "AI ends with electricity." The giant Vistra of American Electric Power Company, Inc. has been the best-performing component stock in the S&P 500 index since 2024, with a surge of 265%, surpassing even NVIDIA Corporation's surge of 170% in 2024. The more impressive rise of Palantir was only included in the S&P 500 index in September. Vistra's revenue scale has grown significantly since 2024 due to the large-scale data centers that consume a massive amount of electricity. With some government agencies and American tech giants committing to invest more in the field of artificial intelligence next year, especially in building and expanding energy-hungry data centers, the prospects for power and other infrastructure providers look very optimistic. Data centers are undoubtedly the most core large-scale infrastructure projects of the AI era, essential for the efficient operation of generative AI applications like ChatGPT, and the updating iterations of AI large models like GPT-4o. Why is Pelosi called the "Congressional Stock God"? Pelosi's latest stock market transaction data is the first time since July 2024, when she revealed that she had significantly increased her holdings of NVIDIA Corporation and sold some shares of Microsoft Corporation (MSFT.US). Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, are considered to have very precise investment decisions in the stock market. For example, the Pelosi family has earned considerable returns on certain tech stocks (such as Tesla, Inc., Apple Inc., etc.) and other stocks. It has been reported in the media that the Pelosi family has made very advantageous trades in some stocks, especially those involving companies related to the policies she leads as Speaker. For instance, the Pelosi family bought Tesla, Inc. stock in 2021, just before Tesla, Inc. stock price started to soar. Pelosi's investment behavior has raised questions about conflicts of interest. As the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Pelosi has access to a significant amount of non-public policy information, especially in the areas of government investments, legislation, and regulation of tech companies. This has made her investment actions the subject of public and media scrutiny, leading to discussions about whether she has used insider information for investment. Therefore, titles like "Congressional Stock God" also carry potential conflicts of interest when public figures engage in stock market operations, as well as questions about investment transparency in the U.S. Congress.

21/01/2025

Saudi Aramco CEO is optimistic about PetroChina's demand outlook, expecting global demand to increase by approximately 1.3 million barrels per day this year.

The CEO of international oil giant Saudi Aramco stated that China is still driving global oil demand growth and refuted concerns that the world's largest energy consumer may have peaked in its demand. Amin Nasser, the CEO of Saudi Aramco, said in an interview, "We still see good demand from China." China and India account for around 40% of global consumption growth, and "demand is increasing year by year." His comments echo those he made in October last year, when he expressed optimism about China's prospects following a series of economic stimulus measures by the government. However, this optimism contrasts sharply with some signals of slowing demand. PetroChina has predicted that as the pace of transition to electric vehicles accelerates, oil demand may stop growing after 2025. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), China's oil consumption increased by only 180,000 barrels per day last year, less than a fifth of the growth in 2023. The IEA expects that by 2025, growth will slightly rebound to 220,000 barrels per day. Weak demand was partially behind a 3% drop in oil prices last year, exceeding geopolitical risks in the Middle East. Oil prices rose by 6% this year after the US imposed severe sanctions on Russia. Nasser said that these restrictions have already begun to tighten the oil market. He expects global oil demand to increase by about 1.3 million barrels per day this year, reaching 106 million barrels per day. This is slightly higher than the IEA's forecast of 1.05 million barrels per day. He pointed out that the growth in demand will make this year's oil market "healthy" and balanced.

21/01/2025

International Atomic Energy Agency: Iran needs to reach a nuclear understanding with the Trump administration.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has stated that Iran needs to reach an understanding with the Trump administration regarding its nuclear activities to avoid being drawn into another military conflict in the Middle East. Six and a half years ago, Trump revoked an agreement that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for strict restrictions on its nuclear activities. Now, Iran's stockpile of nearly bomb-grade enriched uranium has skyrocketed to a historic high. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Tuesday: "An agreement had been reached between the two sides before President Trump decided that this wasn't the path he wanted to take. Now we need to agree on how to address this issue, of course, excluding war. We don't want to see war happen again." The IAEA confirms Iran's December production of highly enriched uranium increased sevenfold The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran continues to produce large quantities of highly enriched uranium. In December of last year, the country increased its production capacity sevenfold to around 34 kilograms (75 pounds) per month in response to diplomatic condemnations in November. "We are in contact with Russia, China, and European countries, but everyone knows that the United States is indispensable," Grossi said. "What we need is to reach a consensus. This will be our mission in the coming weeks." Iran's growing stockpile of enriched uranium Ahead of Trump's inauguration on Monday, his officials were preparing new plans to pressure Iran. Senior advisers generally believe that re-implementing the maximum pressure strategy, starting with a massive sanctions plan targeting key players in the oil industry, could happen as early as February. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are also preparing to exert new pressure on Iran. They have instructed IAEA inspectors to submit a special report on Iran's nuclear activities in the first half of 2025. This report will be submitted to the UN Security Council, which may choose to reimpose sanctions before they expire in October. Grossi stated, "This needs to get back on track," and added that he hopes to meet with the Trump administration "soon."

21/01/2025

"The 'Solana Fever' sweeps through the cryptocurrency world! Competitor Ethereum is being thrown off!"

Currently ranked second in the global market value of cryptocurrencies, Ethereum is losing ground in competition with rivals such as Solana, Bitcoin, and Ripple (XRP), as it seems to be struggling to take advantage of the favorable situation created by former President Donald Trump's return to the White House and his foray into the highly speculative field of digital asset markets. Cryptocurrency investors are flocking to Solana's native token, Solana, and significantly selling off Ethereum, a competitor focused on decentralized finance. According to institutional data compiled, the price ratio of Ethereum to Bitcoin measuring the price performance of the second-ranked cryptocurrency relative to the global market value ranking crypto, Bitcoin, fell to its lowest level since 2021 on Monday, with Bitcoin hitting a historical high of $101,241. Solana's native cryptocurrency, a blockchain that has long competed with Ethereum, hit a historical high last weekend after previously being overlooked in the cryptocurrency space and often lagging behind Ethereum and Bitcoin. Solana's trading price surge is primarily attributed to the release of two so-called "commemorative coins" on its Solana blockchain by current U.S. President Trump and his wife Melania on the eve of the inauguration ceremony. According to CoinMarketCap statistics, Trump's exclusive commemorative coin "TrumpCoin" sparked a "meme cryptocurrency speculation storm" last weekend and Monday, with its market capitalization reaching $15 billion before sharply dropping. Since Trump's victory over Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris last November, the Republican U.S. leader's promotion of the development of cryptocurrencies has boosted most types of cryptocurrency assets. Trump has repeatedly emphasized the goal of making the U.S. the "cryptocurrency capital" and the "Bitcoin superpower," and his support for Bitcoin, as well as members of the new U.S. government, is pushing for a growing demand for global funds for the country's digital asset type funds (such as Bitcoin ETFs and Ethereum ETFs) and cryptocurrency derivative contracts. "Ethereum has clearly been the biggest loser in the recent meme cryptocurrency speculation frenzy, as many of the largest meme cryptocurrencies were generated and released in the Solana blockchain ecosystem," said Le Shi, Managing Director of the Hong Kong office of cryptocurrency market maker company Auros. The cryptocurrency space is filled with financial joke meme cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin, which also has extremely high volatility, with minimal intrinsic value. Once they attract a large enough following on social media, they can bring astonishing investment returns, but they can also quickly plummet to zero in value. Struggling Ethereum Solana and Ethereum have been long-time competitors as they both vie for a leading position in blockchain technology, especially in applications like DeFi and smart contracts. However, Solana offers significant advantages in trading speed, throughput, and fees, making it a preferred platform for more and more cryptocurrency projects and decentralized applications. Despite being relatively "young," Solana's ecosystem is rapidly growing. With the performance advantages of the Solana platform becoming apparent, more and more cryptocurrency projects are choosing to release on Solana, especially in the areas of DeFi, NFTs, and Web3, attracting a large number of decentralized cryptographic domain developers and innovators. Self-proclaimed "Ethereum killer" Solana has become the preferred network for decentralized cryptocurrency issuance. Last Sunday, as speculators flocked to the "TrumpCoin" and "MelaniaCoin" cryptocurrencies favored by cryptocurrency asset enthusiasts, the trading price ratio of Solana to Ethereum's underlying blockchain competitor reached an all-time high. Compared to larger market value cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ripple, and Solana, which have repeatedly hit historical highs, Ethereum's trading price is still about 30% lower than its peak in 2021. In the past 12 months, Ethereum's price has risen by 39%, while Bitcoin and Solana have risen by 156% and 180%, respectively. Since November 2024, following the new round of "cryptocurrency investment frenzy" triggered by Trump's election victory, Ripple's trading price has surged by 351% relative to Ethereum, leaving a strong impression on cryptocurrency investors. The relatively lackluster investment or speculative demand for Ethereum has also led to a sense of caution among investors. According to institutional data, in the past three months, the net inflow of funds for 12 U.S. Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (i.e., Bitcoin ETFs) has exceeded $17 billion, while similar secondary market products for investing in Ethereum (i.e., Ethereum ETFs) have only seen net inflows of $3 billion. "There is a perception in the cryptocurrency market that Ethereum has not made any exciting new technological or investment progress, and thus it has stagnated," said Shi from Auros. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently announced plans to adjust the leadership structure of the Ethereum Foundation, with a focus on making the Ethereum network more decentralized and resistant to censorship. However, Buterin emphasized that the entity would not "lobby U.S. or other regulatory authorities.""Politicians with influence"Although cryptocurrency investors have been buzzing about the "Trump Coin" and "Melania Coin" meme cryptocurrency investment craze, the cryptocurrency market saw most of its gains erased after Trump's inauguration on Monday. According to earlier reports from the media, the cryptocurrency market had expected Trump to issue an executive order, designating the cryptocurrency industry as a "national priority," but so far no such directive has been issued.

21/01/2025

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