Category: Business and Finance
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The Strategic Importance of Rare Earths in the U.S.-China Trade Conflict
In response to Donald Trump’s escalating tariffs, China retaliated by placing export restrictions on a range of rare earth elements. These materials, crucial to the U.S. for the production of weapons, computer chips, and electric vehicles, are primarily produced by China. Experts argue that the U.S. is years away from developing its own supply chain…
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Uncertain Investments: China’s Middle Class Struggles Amid Market Volatility
Eric Li, a mid-level manager at a state-owned enterprise, recently sold his two-bedroom flat in Tianjin for 2 million yuan (US$275,700) – “about 20 per cent more than he paid for it 12 years ago.” Yet, after deducting renovation costs and interest payments, the gain was marginal. Still, he said, “At least I didn’t lose…
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Small Businesses Struggle as Health Insurance Costs Continue to Rise
The rapidly increasing cost of health insurance is “crippling” small businesses across the United States, according to a new report from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Participation in the small group market, where most small businesses purchase health coverage, is in a “death spiral,” the report states. The number of participants in the…
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US Tariffs Could Push Asian Allies Closer to China
President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs announcement, unveiled in the Rose Garden on Wednesday, sent shockwaves across Asian markets. While a high tariff on China was “not so surprising,” what stood out was that “among the top 10 countries on his chart, eight are in Asia.” Close U.S. allies like Japan and South Korea were especially…
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Global Markets Plunge as Trump’s Tariffs Rattle Investors
Markets around the world tumbled on Thursday after President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on major trading partners, including the European Union and Japan. The initial market reaction suggested that the scale of the tariffs had come as a surprise to investors. Futures on the S&P 500, which allow investors to trade the index outside normal…
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Billionaire Bill Ackman Bets Big: Pumps $2.2 Billion Into 2 Stocks
If there’s one thing billionaire investor Bill Ackman is known for, it’s making bold moves in the market. The founder of Pershing Square Capital Management doesn’t do things halfway. With $17 billion in assets under management, his hedge fund operates with precision, holding just 10 stocks in its portfolio. And Ackman’s recent quarterly filing with…
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The Free Market’s Greatest Challenge: Trump and the Changing Economic Order
David Dimbleby recalls the turmoil of 1974: inflation surging, the government battling trade unions over pay, and an economy thrown into chaos by a sudden global oil crisis. Power cuts were common – we would be plunged into darkness without warning. And seemingly, the government just expected us to deal with it.” It was in…
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The Economics Behind Health Insurance Denials: What Drives the System?
United and other insurers make a profit by restricting the claims they pay, so their profit motive goes directly against people’s need to get healthcare.” Many claims are exceptionally high due to inflated prices for drugs, medical equipment, and services from specialists and hospital administrators. Private equity firms have further driven up costs, viewing the…
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Wall Street Pulls Back as Trump’s Economic Policies Stoke Uncertainty
On-again, off-again tariffs, mass government layoffs, funding cuts, and immigration crackdowns have spooked Wall Street, which is emphatically rejecting President Donald Trump’s chaotic economic agenda. The market that embraced Trump for most of his first term and in the lead-up to his second has turned on the president. The S&P 500 closed in correction territory…
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Danny Moses Warns of Market Turmoil as Government Cuts Threaten Economy
Markets have yet to fully account for the economic consequences of mass government spending cuts, according to Danny Moses, the investor best known for his early bet against mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. Moses told Fortune that the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) aggressive reductions have placed private contractors, small businesses, and the…