The fund holds roughly 3,900 stocks across developed markets outside the United States, collecting dividends from those companies and passing them through to fund holders quarterly. No options strategies, no leverage, no synthetic structures. The fund simply owns stocks and distributes what those stocks pay.
Moody's Ratings has slashed India's economic growth projections for the current fiscal to 6%, from 6.8% earlier. The credit ratings agency said the US-Israeli war against Iran and its impact on the global energy market will weigh on India's growth momentum and heighten inflation risks.
We have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair, said Merz, in an acknowledgement of the strain faced by Germany's manufacturing sector from Chinese competition.
While recognizing our achievements, we are also clear-eyed about the difficulties and challenges we face. The government is striving to balance two goals: reviving the flagging economy by boosting domestic spending while also furthering top leader Xi Jinping's ambitions to build China into a global power in AI, robotics and other advanced technologies and one that is not dependent on the U.S. or others for high-end semiconductors and other components.
The lowered growth figure reflects China's economic slowdown, triggered in part by the collapse of the country's property sector, which once accounted for between 25 and 30 percent of GDP. The growth target is quite realistic, the Economist Intelligence Unit's China economist Tianchen Xu said, noting the figure reflected China's trend towards more conservative expectations.
What we'll see is the trade-off between whether it's going to be industry and tech, or looking after domestic demand. These are the two priorities that are juggling for Xi Jinping right now.
The deal was announced during Keir Starmer's official visit to China, with Octopus founder and chief executive Greg Jackson joining the UK business delegation in Beijing. The new venture, called Bitong Energy, will combine PCG Power's position as one of China's fastest-growing investors and solutions providers in the commercial and industrial renewable energy sector with Octopus' proprietary software and expertise in green energy trading and optimisation.
Open source - that might be the clearest signal of how China wants artificial intelligence to reshape its economy. Hisham Alrayes, the group CEO of Bahrain-based GFH Financial Group, said China is prioritizing open models and broad deployment to spread AI's gains across the economy, instead of funneling them to a few tech giants. Speaking at a Davos panel on China's "AI+ Economy" strategy on Wednesday, Alrayes said the country's approach reflects a fundamentally different economic philosophy.
"The German economy is starting the new year with little momentum," said Ifo president Clemens Fuest. Hammered by a manufacturing slump, fierce competition in key export markets and US tariffs, the German economy has been mired in a long decline. After meagre growth in 2025 following two years of recession, some have been banking on the turnaround picking up speed sharply this year driven by a public spending blitz.
According to BRC-Opinium data, consumer expectations over the next three months the state of the economy improved to -32 in January, up from -38 in December. Consumers personal financial situation improved to -8 in January, up from -10 in December and their personal spending on retail fell to -6 in January, down from +6 in December. Consumers personal spending overall fell to +5 in January, down from +17 in December,
EPS: $0.89 vs. $0.86 estimate (3.5% beat) Revenue: $4.23 billion vs. $4.34 billion estimate (in line), up 6% year-over-year Adjusted Operating Margin: 14.4%, up 290 basis points from prior year Guidance Raised: FY2026 adjusted EPS now $2.05-$2.25 (36-49% growth) Stock Reaction: Shares dropped 18.7% over the past week despite raised guidance Estée Lauder delivered a mixed quarter, beating earnings expectations while revenue met estimates.
U.S. financial markets began the year on a positive note, with major stock indexes reaching new highs despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and emerging signs of economic cooling. Investors showed renewed confidence, particularly in smaller and value-oriented companies, which outperformed the large technology-driven stocks that dominated returns in recent years. This shift suggests broader participation in the market rally and growing optimism beyond a narrow group of companies.
About 1.4 billion people began marking the Lunar New Year on Tuesday amid fireworks as China enters the Year of the Fire Horse, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Known as the Spring Festival in China, the new year, based on the lunar calendar, also brings about the world's largest annual human migration, called Chunyun, as millions travel across the country for family reunions.
China recorded strong exports in 2025 with a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus, as producers shifted their focus to markets other than the US amid Trump's tariffs. Customs data showed that Beijing's global surplus rose 20% from the previous year, which saw a $992 billion surplus. Exports in 2025 stood at $3.7 trillion and imports at $2.58 trillion, government data showed on Wednesday. The record surplus was aided by a 6.6% bump in exports in the month of December when compared to December 2024,
