Alfred Gray

NEW FUNDING FOR OPENAI

OpenAI funding talks.
- San Francisco-based OpenAI is reportedly in talks to raise a new round of funding.
- The company's valuation is estimated to be at least $100 billion.

Funding terms and timing:
- Funding terms and timing are still under discussion and subject to change.

Chip venture talks with G42:
- OpenAI is also reportedly in talks with Abu Dhabi...
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOLLAR

Dollar above four-month low:

The dollar settled above a four-month low on Friday, while investors awaited the release of core US personal consumption expenditures (PCE) data.

Expectations of a rise in the core indicator:

The core PCE indicator was expected to rise 3.3% year-over-year, slightly less than the 3.5% increase in October.

Lower inflation...
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MORTGAGE RATES CONTINUE TO FALL (USA)

Mortgage rates fell to a six-month low, hitting their lowest level since June, when the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.67% from 6.95% the previous week.

Personally, I'm curious to see what rates we'll be looking at in 2024.

PARAMOUNT $PARA AND WARNER BROS DISCOVERY $WBD AND THEIR POSSIBLE CONNECTION

US companies Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Global are in talks about a merger, but its specific form has not yet been determined. Citing sources, foreign media reported the news on Wednesday, but the companies themselves have not commented. If they were to merge, two of the five major film studios...
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Microsoft Azure is gaining ground, but Amazon Web Services (AWS) from Amazon still maintains its leadership position in the cloud services ecosystem.

Analysts at Jefferies report that while Microsoft Azure is gaining momentum in the cloud services market, it still remains a second player behind Amazon Web Services (AWS). According to a survey of 40 US CIOs, both platforms were...
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IPO OF THE SHEIN COMPANY

In the first half of December, news emerged that Chinese digital fashion brand Shein had filed a confidential application with the US Securities and Exchange Commission with a view to going public, likely in early 2024. According to a report from Bloomberg, Shein is seeking a valuation of up to $90 billion, up from the approximately $66 billion it was...
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"Illumina announced the sale of the Grail division due to antitrust issues: What does this mean for the future of genomics?

ACQUISITION OF COLT-CZ AND NIPPON STEEL

Japanese steel company Nippon Steel today announced the acquisition of U.S. Steel. The agreed price is USD 55 per share, for a total of USD 14.9 billion.

Colt CZ announced this morning that it is buying Czech small caliber ammunition manufacturer Sellier & Bellot. It is acquiring a 100% stake. The seller is CBC Europe. Colt will pay partly...
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USA

Industrial Production (m-m) (November):
current value: 0.2%
market expectation: 0.3%
previous value: -0.6%

Capacity Utilisation (November):
current value: 78.8%
market expectation: 79.1%
previous value: 78.9%

Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index PMI (S&P Global) (December - preliminary):
current value: 48.2 pts.
market expectation: 49.5 pts.
previous value: 49.4 pts.

Purchasing...
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Swedish clothing retailer H&M saw sales in local currencies fall by four per cent in the fourth quarter of its financial year. That's more than analysts had estimated, and the biggest drop since the third quarter of last year. Customers are spending less, and the company has also closed branches in Russia. The world's second-largest apparel retailer made the announcement in a...
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Software company Adobe released its fourth-quarter results yesterday after the market closed. The quarterly results themselves beat market expectations, but analysts were not too happy with the annual outlook provided. The stock has gained about 85% since the beginning of the year.

Financial results

Adobe's revenue rose 12% year-over-year to $5.05 billion, beating analyst...
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BANKING

J.P. Morgan analyst Mehmet Sevim has raised the target price for Moneta to CZK 107 from CZK 97. He reiterated a recommendation of "Neutral".

J.P. Morgan analyst Mehmet Sevim raised his target price for Komerční banka to CZK 830 from CZK 820. He reiterated a "Neutral" recommendation.

J.P. Morgan analyst Mehmet Sevim cut the target price for Erste from EUR 48 to EUR 46. The...
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ZARA SAW PROFIT GROWTH, BUT REVENUE GROWTH SLOWED

Zara's profit, Inditex, rose significantly by 32.5% for the nine months, although sales growth slowed.

Inditex has invested in expanding its physical and digital stores and strengthened its logistics capabilities, which has helped it outperform competition in the fast fashion sector.

Inditex's sales grew 11%, a slight slowdown from...
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USA: State budget in November

State Budget (November):
current value: -$314.0 billion
market expectations: -$317.0 billion
previous value: -$66.6 billion

Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company of US billionaire Warren Buffett, has sold almost half of its stake in US personal computer maker HP. Buffett's firm made the announcement in a report to regulators on Monday. Berkshire owned 51.5 million shares of HP at the end of November, leaving it holding a 5.2 percent stake in the company. At the beginning of October, Buffett's...
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