Covering the latest in Financial Markets, Technological Innovations, Politics and more
Key Takeaways:
- Gold prices surged to an all-time high of $2,469.66/oz.
- President Joe Biden announces his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.
- A global technology outage, triggered by a CrowdStrike update affecting Microsoft systems, led to widespread disruptions across airlines, government services, banking, and healthcare sectors.
- President Biden forgives $1.2 Billion in student loans, providing relief to 35,000 public service workers
- Geopolitical tensions are escalating, with the US planning to impose sanctions on China for its alleged support of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
- The depreciating yen is fueling a surge in tourism, increasing foreign spending, boosting Japan’s economic growth.
IPOs in the week:
- Ardent Health Partners (ARDT), a healthcare provider, successfully listed its shares on the NYSE on July 18, 2024. The company, which operates a network of acute care, rehabilitation, and surgical hospitals across the United States, offered 14,300,000 shares, at $16.00 each. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ardent Health Partners is a subsidiary of EGI-AM Investments, L.L.C.
- TWFG, Inc. (TWFG) went public on July 18, 2024, listing on NASDAQ with 11,000,000 shares at $17.00. The company operates an independent distribution platform for personal and commercial insurance products in the US. Its products include auto, home, renters, life, health, and other insurance offerings.
- Artiva Biotherapeutics (ARTV) went public on July 19, 2024, listing on NASDAQ (ARTV) with 8,700,000 shares at $12.00. Artiva Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ARTV) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that focuses on developing natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies for patients with devastating autoimmune diseases and cancers.
Markets this week:
- Gold prices surged to an all-time high of $2,469.66/oz.
- President Biden has forgiven another $1.2 billion in student loans, providing relief to 35,000 public service workers, and bringing the total amount of debt forgiven to $168.5 billion.
- Blackstone Inc. is boosting the size of a commercial mortgage bond offering to support its $10 billion purchase of AIR Communities, an apartment landlord. Initially planned at $2 billion, the offering will now be increased to $2.95 billion, with finalization anticipated early next week, according to the asset manager.
- Over the past decade, fintech companies partnered with small and midsize banks to earn transaction fees. However, after Synapse Financial Technologies collapsed, millions in deposits remain frozen, questioning FDIC protection. Synapse’s poor recordkeeping left a $96 million shortfall, complicating its bankruptcy resolution and putting these partnerships under scrutiny.
- Bank of America reports investors are buying US stocks, betting on a Trump re-election and potential fed rate cuts, resulting in massive inflows into US equity funds.
Politics weekly:
- President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race yesterday, citing a desire to unify the Democratic Party and the country. The President endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
- President Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, experiencing mild symptoms.
- The US plans to impose sanctions on China for its alleged support of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, a top Biden advisor said. The sanctions may target Chinese banks, escalating tensions between the two nations.
- Russia and Ukraine to exchange 180 prisoners in UAE-brokered deal, marking the sixth exchange this year, with a total of nearly 1,400 prisoners released.
- Tunisia’s election starts with the President’s opponents arrested.
- Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui found guilty in the US of $1 billion investor fraud, using a luxurious lifestyle to lure victims.
- The Aukus arms deal between the US, UK, and Australia, announced three years ago, faces scrutiny and pressure due to delays and lingering questions surrounding the submarine and technology cooperation pact.
- Former Ukrainian politician Iryna Farion was shot and killed in Lviv. President Zelenskiy has called for an investigation, condemning the violence. Farion was a controversial figure known for her nationalist views. The investigation is ongoing, exploring motives related to her personal and political activities.
Technology Advancements this week:
- Elon Musk announces he has removed CrowdStrike software from his systems following a global outage caused by a botched update. Musk took to social media to share the decision, citing the significant disruption to the automotive supply chain. While it’s unclear if all his companies will drop CrowdStrike, Musk notes that many suppliers and logistics companies still use the software.
- OpenAI launches GPT-4o Mini, a smaller and more affordable version of its flagship AI model. This move aims to expand its reach to more developers and businesses, replacing GPT-3.5 Turbo in ChatGPT.
- AI weather forecasting startups are harnessing advanced tech to improve hurricane predictions, promising more accurate modeling and forecasting this season.
- Italy is investigating Google’s business practices. They want to make sure Google is clear and honest with users about how their data is used. Google is working with the investigators.
- China’s internet regulator, the CAC, triggered a $1 trillion tech stock crash in 2021 with heavy-handed actions. Despite controlling key growth areas (data, AI, listings), the CAC’s unclear policies and shifting priorities terrified investors. Unlike other regulators, the CAC’s lack of transparency fuels anxiety
Biggest News in Tech:
On Friday, a global technology outage linked to a CrowdStrike software update, which affected Microsoft Windows systems, caused widespread disruptions.
Key impacts included:
- Airlines: Over 29,000 flights were delayed and nearly 3,200 canceled worldwide. By Friday morning, Delta and United had resumed some flights.
- Government Services: U.S. Social Security offices were closed, leading to delays in phone and online services. The Justice Department also experienced communication issues.
- Emergency Services: 911 lines in several states briefly went down but have since been restored.
- Banks: Several U.S. banks, including Chase and Bank of America, as well as Brazil’s Bradesco, reported server outages affecting their services.
- Healthcare: Hospitals in the U.S. and Europe faced delays and canceled non-urgent procedures.
- International Travel: Significant disruptions affected flights around the globe.
- Retail: McDonald’s in Japan and Starbucks experienced issues with cash registers and mobile ordering systems.
- Sports & Entertainment: Manchester United and the Paris Olympics saw delays, and theme parks like Universal Studios Japan and Disneyland Hong Kong had service interruptions.
- Broadcasting: Major networks, including Sky News and ABC Australia, went off-air.
Microsoft confirmed that the outage, which impacted its 365 apps and Windows systems, was addressed, though some residual effects remain. CrowdStrike has indicated the issue was not caused by a cyberattack but has been resolved.
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