Amazon is reportedly preparing to launch a new store section on its site dedicated to low-priced fashion and lifestyle items.
The move is aimed at competing with e-commerce upstarts Temu and Shein, both of which have ties to China.
The new storefront will offer unbranded products, with numerous items priced below $20. Amazon plans to ship these goods directly from China, targeting a delivery window of round 10 days. This initiative is a strategic move by Amazon to counter increasing competition and broaden its assortment while preserving competitive pricing.
While the precise launch date has not been announced, the storefront is anticipated to begin accepting products in the autumn of 2024.
It is indeed amazing and absolutely true – when the medusa (adult jellyfish) or Turritopsis Dohrnii comes to the end of its life, it descends to the ocean’s depths and commences decomposition – it starts to decay but remarkably, its cells then reassemble, not into another medusa, but into polyps.
From these polyps, new jellyfish are born. In essence, the jellyfish reverts to a previous stage of its life cycle, thus beginning life anew.
This extraordinary capability has led to it becoming known as the “immortal jellyfish.”
Tubi is a complimentary streaming service akin to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. It boasts a substantial library of more than 20,000 movies and television shows available for streaming on your smart phone, smart TV, or streaming device.
As a free service, you’ll encounter ads while accessing the content. Tubi operates on an advertising-based model, which enables them to offer their wide-ranging collection at no cost. Content will be available from Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
It has been owned by Murdoch’s Fox Corporation since 2020. As of May 2024, the service boasts 80 million monthly active users in the U.S.
UK economy purring but not roaring like a lion… yet!
The UK economy expanded more than initially thought in the first quarter of 2024, signalling a recovery from recession, according to updated official data.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that from January to March 2024, the economy experienced a growth of 0.7%, revised from the preliminary estimate of 0.6% released last month.
During intraday trading on Wednesday 26th June 2024, Amazon’s market capitalisation surpassed $2 trillion.
The company now stands among other tech giants like Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft, which have also achieved a market cap of over $2 trillion ($3 trillion for in Nvidia Apple and Microsoft).
Amazon’s shares have experienced a significant increase in the past year.
Amazon one year chart from 27th June 2023 – 26th June 2024. Share price: 193.61
Amazon one year chart from 27th June 2023 – 26th June 2024. Share price: 193.61
To put this figure into some perspective, the loss is comparable to the GDP output of a small country, such as Norway, Singapore, or the UAE, for example.
Global semiconductor stocks experienced volatility on Tuesday following a decline in Nvidia’s shares from the previous trading sessions.
Shares of chip firms in Europe and Asia fell in early trade as investors reacted to Nvidia losing more than $500 billion in market capitalization over three trading days. Some of the stocks recouped losses, however, as shares in the U.S. chipmaking giant recovered around 6 – 6.5% as of Tuesday 25th June 2024.
This follows a significant drop in Nvidia’s share value, which fell 13% over three consecutive sessions from the record highs achieved on Thursday 20th June 2024.
On Monday 24th June 2024, Nvidia’s stock closed down 6.7%, marking its second-largest decline of the year, yet the shares began to recover in early trading on Tuesday 25th June 2024.
Last week, the company surpassed Apple and Microsoft to become the most valuable U.S. company, achieving a market capitalization of over $3.4 trillion. However, by the end of Monday, Nvidia’s market value had declined by more than $540 billion from its intraday record on Thursday 20th June 2024.
Nvidia reported that the demand for its highly sought-after artificial intelligence graphics processing units (GPUs) continues to be strong.
Companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are investing billions of dollars in these chips to enhance their data centres and cloud services.
The price of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin was down more than 6% at close to $60,000 on Monday 24th June 2024 – its lowest level in more than a month and about 17% from its March 2024 record.
In the past week, it’s fallen more than 10%.
Crypto investment products reportedly notched a second consecutive week of outflows, according to analysts. Last week, they saw their lowest trading volumes globally since the U.S. Bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024.
Bitcoin one day chart 24th June 2024 at around $60,000 (CoinMarketCap)
Bitcoin one day chart 24th June 2024 at around $60,000
The ‘Sahm Rule’ serves as a heuristic indicator employed by the Federal Reserve to ascertain the onset of a recession in the economy.
The Sahm Rule is a real-time evaluation tool based on monthly unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Named after economist Claudia Sahm, it forecasts the onset of a recession when the three-month moving average of the national unemployment rate (U3) increases by 0.50% or more compared to its lowest point in the preceding 12 months.
This simple yet effective indicator helps policymakers monitor economic cycles and respond accordingly
Time to cut according to the ‘Sahm Rule’
Sahm has reportedly stated that the Fed is taking a significant risk by not implementing gradual rate cuts now. Last week, Federal Reserve officials significantly reduced their forecasts for rate cuts this year, shifting from three anticipated reductions noted in the March 2024 meeting to just one.
According to the creator of a well-established rule for predicting recessions, the Federal Reserve is risking an economic contraction by not lowering interest rates immediately.
Anthropic, a rival to OpenAI, unveiled Claude 3.5 Sonnet on Thursday, touting it as their most advanced AI model to date.
Claude has joined the ranks of widely used chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Founded by former OpenAI research leaders, Anthropic has secured backing from major tech entities like Google, Salesforce, and Amazon. Over the past year, the company has completed numerous funding rounds, reportedly amassing approximately $7.3 billion.
The announcement comes after Anthropic introduced its Claude 3 series of models in March, followed by OpenAI’s GPT-4o in May 2024. Anthropic has stated that Claude 3.5 Sonnet, the initial model from the new Claude 3.5 series, surpasses the speed of its predecessor, Claude 3 Opus.
“It shows marked improvement in grasping nuance, humour, and complex instructions, and is exceptional at writing high-quality content with a natural, relatable tone,” the company said in a blog post.
It can also write, edit and execute code in a real time workspace open for the user to engage.
Nvidia, traditionally recognised within the gaming community for its graphics chips, has become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company.
On Tuesday 18th June 2024, Nvidia’s shares rose by 3.6%, increasing its market cap to $3.34 trillion and overtaking Microsoft, now valued at $3.32 trillion. Earlier in the month, Nvidia’s valuation reached $3 trillion for the first time, surpassing Apple.
Nvidia $3.34 trillion market cap
Nvidia $3.34 trillion market cap
So far this year, Nvidia’s shares have surged over 170% and saw further gains after announcing first-quarter earnings in May 2024. Since the close of 2022, the stock has increased more than ninefold, paralleling the rise of generative artificial intelligence.
Apple’s shares dropped by 1.1% on Tuesday, resulting in a market value of $3.29 trillion for the tech giant.
Nvidia commands roughly 80% of the market share for AI chips in data centres, a sector that has expanded rapidly as companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta have competed to acquire the necessary processors for constructing AI models and managing growing workloads.
In the latest quarter, Nvidia’s data centre business saw a 427% increase in revenue from the previous year, reaching $22.6 billion and comprising approximately 86% of the company’s total sales.
Established in 1991, Nvidia initially focused on hardware, selling gaming chips for running 3D games. The company has also ventured into cryptocurrency mining chips and cloud gaming services.
However, in the last two years, Nvidia’s stock has soared as investors recognised its pivotal role in the AI boom, a trend that continues to accelerate. This surge has increased the net worth of co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang to an estimated $117 billion, ranking him as the 11th richest individual globally, according to Forbes.
But is the rise too fast and is it time for a share price valuation adjustment in its meteoric rise, to bring it back down to Earth?
Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) debuted in January 2024, yet their adoption by financial advisors has reportedly been sluggish.
Advisors’ hesitations stem from Bitcoin’s price volatility and its relatively brief history. Bitcoin ETFs serve as a conduit between cryptocurrency and conventional finance. According to a BlackRock spokesperson – financial advisors are cautiously, but progressively, embracing the long-anticipated Bitcoin ETFs since their launch.
Currently, it is estimated that approximately 80% of Bitcoin ETF purchases are being made by self-directed investors who decide their own allocation, frequently via an online brokerage account.
Bitcoin one year chart snapshot 18th June 2024 (am)
Bitcoin one year chart snapshot 18th June 2024 (am)
Nvidia’s swift ascent is poised to prompt a major technology exchange-traded fund to acquire more than $10 billion in shares of the semiconductor maker, consequently reducing its shareholding in Apple.
The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK), which will rebalance soon, is guided by an index that will adjust based on the market cap value at Friday’s close. According SPDR Americas Research, the recalibration will reportedly position Microsoft as the leading stock, followed by Nvidia, and then Apple.
Without caps, each of the three stocks would exceed a 20% weight in the index. However, the index’s diversification rules restrict the total weight that stocks constituting at least a 5% share of the fund can hold.
Consequently, it is anticipated that Microsoft and Nvidia will each approach a 21% weight, while Apple’s share is projected to drop to approximately 4.5%.
This news moved markets on 17th June 2024 and pushed the S&P 500 to a new all-time high. The Nasdaq100 index also relished the news reaching: 19902.75
The Nasdaq100 index also relished the news reaching: 19902.75
Nvidia share price 17th June 2024 – one year chart
The S&P 500 climbed on Monday 17th June 2024, closing at a new record high aided by the substantial weighted rebalancing of an ETF.
The index concluded at 5473, while the Nasdaq Composite soared to 17857. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 188.94 points, finishing at 38778.
These gains occurred after XLK announced it was rebalancing its fund in favour of Nvidia. The major technology exchange-traded fund will get 20% weighting and billions in investor demand it was announced.
S&P 500 500 reaches another all-time high of 5473 on 17th June 2024
Beginning in 2030, Mastercard will eliminate the need for Europeans to manually enter their card numbers during online checkout, regardless of the platform or device used.
The familiar 16-digit card number will be substituted with a randomly generated ‘token.’ This change will enable consumers to complete payments with a single click at the checkout page, authenticated by a thumbprint.
Mastercard reported that 100% tokenization across e-commerce sites will reduce fraud rates dramatically.
The way we pay for products and services online will feel very different in the coming years.
For the first time, automotive companies in China surpassed their U.S. counterparts in car sales last year, driven by BYD and expansion in emerging markets, according to a data released Thursday 13th July 2024.
Chinese brands such as BYD now at the forefront, reportedly sold 13.4 million new vehicles last year. In comparison, American brands sold approximately 11.9 million units. Japanese brands remained at the top with 23.59 million sales.
China’s sales growth rate surpassed that of the U.S., with a 23% rise from the previous year compared to the U.S.’s 9% increase.
The consistent high pricing by legacy automakers has inadvertently steered consumers towards more affordable Chinese alternatives.
No surprise here then as manufacturers milked profits from legacy lineups!
Tariffs have now been introduced on China to curb their automakers runaway success.
On Friday 14th June 2024, the Nasdaq Composite edged up to close at a record high for the fifth consecutive session.
Nasdaq Comp hits fresh record high for the fifth consecutive session
The tech-centric index rose slightly by 0.12%, finishing at 17688. The S&P 500 dipped slightly to close at 5431 and ending its four-day streak of gains.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 57.94 points, closing at 38589.
It has been calculated that the S&P 500’s total value is currently $45.5 trillion. Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, claimed on Thursday 13th June 2024 that the company’s Optimus humanoid robots could potentially raise the automaker’s value to over half of that amount.
During the 2024 annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas, Musk, who reportedly identifies as ‘pathologically optimistic,’ declared that Tesla is not just entering a ‘new chapter,‘ but is on the brink of beginning an entirely ‘new book,’ with Optimus poised to play a pivotal role.
Tesla initially revealed its intention to develop humanoid robots at the AI Day event in 2021, showcasing a performer in a unitard as a stand-in for a sleek, gender-neutral robot prototype.
Musk’s vision
At the shareholder meeting, Musk was reserved about Optimus’ present capabilities. He suggested that, in the future, these robots could operate in a manner akin to Star Wars’ R2-D2 and C-3PO, undertaking tasks such as cooking, cleaning, factory work, or even teaching children.
In terms of shareholder value, Musk speculated that Optimus might play a key role in boosting Tesla’s market capitalization to $25 trillion eventually. No time scale was put forward.
And, don’t forget about the development of the robot taxi and of the fully autonomous vehicle.
Tesla shareholders have voted to ratify CEO Elon Musk’s 2018 compensation package, which was previously rescinded by a Delaware judge in January.
During the annual meeting in Austin, Texas, shareholders voted in Musk’s favour.
Following Musk’s announcement that shareholders were likely to approve his pay package and a resolution to relocate the company’s incorporation to Texas, Tesla’s shares increased.
The vote endorsing the compensation plan does not supersede the court’s decision, yet it offers a public relations triumph for Musk and may aid his endeavor to persuade a court to grant him his performance options eventually.
Significant deposits of rare earth metals have been found in both Norway and Sweden.
Norway
Rare Earths Norway (REN) has announced the discovery of the largest deposit of rare earth elements in Europe at the Fen Carbonatite Complex in southeastern Norway.
The deposit reportedly contains 8.8 million metric tons of total rare earth oxides (TREOs), including an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of magnet-related rare earths, which are vital for technologies like electric vehicles and wind turbines.
This discovery marks a significant advancement in Europe’s efforts to decrease its reliance on imported rare earths, especially from China.
Sweden
The discovery in Arctic Sweden of over one million tonnes of rare earth metals could significantly aid the EU in reducing its reliance on China for these crucial elements, which are essential for a wide range of high-tech applications.
These findings are critical for the green transition and Europe’s goal of increased self-sufficiency in vital raw materials. It is crucial to acknowledge, however, that the extraction process is intricate and necessitates meticulous attention to environmental impacts.
Due to the required permitting processes and environmental assessments, it could take over a decade for the materials from these discoveries to enter the market.
Fen Carbonatite Complex
The Fen Complex, located in Nome, Telemark, Norway, is renowned for its unique assortment of igneous rocks, such as carbonatite. It represents the remnants of a volcanic feeder pipe from a volcano that erupted 580 million years ago, characterised by carbonate-rich magma. The volcanic pipe’s circular formation spans roughly 2 km in diameter.
In a significant development that may affect the electric vehicle (EV) market, the European Union (EU) has tentatively agreed to levy tariffs on Chinese EV manufacturers.
This decision reportedly follows an inquiry into the surge of inexpensive, government-subsidized Chinese vehicles entering the EU market.
From 4th July 2024, Chinese EV producers who participated in the investigation will incur an average duty of 21%, while those who did not will face a substantial 38.1% tariff. Specific rates will be imposed on firms such as BYD, Geely, and SAIC.
Additionally, non-Chinese automobile companies manufacturing some EVs in China, including those based in the EU like BMW, will also be impacted. Tesla might receive a specially calculated duty rate upon request.
These levies are on top of the current 10% tariff on all electric cars manufactured in China. The EU’s action comes after the United States’ drastic measure last month to increase its tariff on Chinese electric cars from 25% to 100%.
Some critics view this anti-subsidy probe as protectionist, potentially harming China-EU economic relations and the worldwide automotive production and supply chain. The German Transport Minister has reportedly cautioned about the possibility of a trade conflict with Beijing.
Although the tariffs are intended to shield the EU’s own industry, they highlight the challenges of maintaining a balance between free trade and competitiveness in the swiftly changing EV sector.
Unless a qualified majority of EU nations opposes it, the tariffs will become permanent in November 2024. The European car industry stresses the need for free and fair trade but recognizes that promoting the adoption of electric cars requires a diverse strategy.
As the dispute over tariffs persists, the repercussions for the EV market are yet to be determined.
One thing is for sure, the consumer will suffer through these tariffs and also through extra road tax levies yet to be introduced, especially in the UK.
Apple has entered the artificial intelligence race with the announcement of its version of AI – Apple Intelligence on Monday 10th June 2024, in its attempt to catch up in the AI race.
Reportedly to use it on your phone, you’ll need at least the high-end iPhone 15 Pro from this year’s lineup.
According to Apple’s website, Apple Intelligence will also be compatible with devices equipped with the M1 chip, including the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Macs.
Apple Intelligence, set to launch in beta this autumn, will offer a variety of features. It will be able to proofread and rewrite your text in different tones, create personalized emojis known as ‘Genmoji,‘ and search for specific messages on your iPhone.
Additionally, it will summarize and transcribe phone calls, manage priority notifications, and integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT for enhanced Siri responses.
Nothing new here then, just AI features already available elsewhere. Hopefully it will have a decent Apple AI make-over when it finally and fully arrives across all Apple products and platforms.
Apple isn’t leading in AI… yet – it’s just following for now!
The shimmering appeal of gold has enchanted humans for ages, yet beneath its radiant exterior, miners face escalating challenges.
According to the World Gold Council, the gold mining sector is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain production growth as the reserves of this precious metal become scarcer.
Depletion
Discovering new gold deposits is becoming increasingly challenging as many potential areas have already been scouted, leaving limited unexplored territories. Large-scale gold mining requires extensive exploration and development, often spanning 10 to 20 years before a mine becomes operational.
Exploration
Approximately 10% of global gold discoveries produce enough metal for mining operations. The success rates for exploration are quite low, and the chances of a discovery advancing to the stage of mine development are minimal.
Production
Despite record first-quarter mine production in 2024, the overall trend is concerning. Since around 2016-2018, global gold production has plateaued, with no sustained growth.
In 2023, mine production increased by a mere 0.5% compared to the previous year. The growth rates have steadily declined over the past decade.
Reserves
Globally, around 187,000 metric tons of gold have been extracted. China, South Africa, and Australia are at the forefront of production. The United States Geological Survey estimates that there are approximately 57,000 tonnes of minable gold reserves remaining.
Regulation
The process of obtaining government permits has grown increasingly difficult, with bureaucratic procedures causing delays in mining operations. Additionally, remote mining projects necessitate infrastructure such as roads, power, and water, which adds to the costs and complexity.
In summary, the glittering seams of gold are thinning. Miners grapple with scarcity, regulatory hurdles, and the diminishing promise of new discoveries.
As we dig deeper, the quest for gold becomes a delicate balance between ambition and reality.
The demand for diamonds has declined as its allure fades in a key consumer market, China.
“Diamonds don’t really fit in anymore despite the strong legacy of De Beers under Anglo,” independent diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky reportedly said.
According to Zimnisky’s rough diamond index, diamond prices have decreased by 5.7% this year, marking a decline of over 30% from their peak in 2022.
Lab-grown diamonds, potentially up to 85% less expensive than natural ones, are created in a controlled environment using high pressure and heat to mimic the formation of natural diamonds in the Earth’s mantle.
Sales of lab-grown diamonds have increased from a mere 2% of the global diamond jewellery market in 2017 to 18.4% in 2023, as reported by Zimnisky.
A fall in marriage rates as well as growing popularity for gold and lab-grown gems all drove down Chinese demand for diamonds, according to market research firm Daxue Consulting.
The lifting of pandemic restrictions has led consumers to redirect their spending towards travel experiences rather than diamond products.
The preference for lab-grown diamonds plays a critical role in driving down prices of natural diamonds.
Banknotes featuring a portrait of King Charles III entered circulation on Wednesday 5th June 2024.
Banknotes featuring a portrait of King Charles III entered circulation on Wednesday 5th June 2024.
Charles’s portrait will be featured on the front of the £5, £10, £20, and £50 banknotes, visible through the notes’ transparent security window. He is only the second monarch to appear on British banknotes, following Queen Elizabeth II.
Currently, there are more than 4.6 billion Bank of England notes in circulation, with a combined value of around £82 billion.
