Analysis: Indices

Trump ally ties up with Russia's Novatek on natural gas in Alaska, NYT reports

American financier Gentry Beach, who has ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's family, signed an agreement with Russia's energy giant Novatek last autumn to develop natural gas in Alaska amid Western...

UK consumers up spending at fastest pace in nearly 4 years at start of 2026

British retail sales volumes rose in January at the fastest annual pace in nearly four years, according to official data that suggested consumers are becoming more happy to spend after a weak end for...

India discounts widen as price volatility dampens demand; China on holiday

Gold demand remained subdued in India this week as volatile prices deterred buyers while other major Asian hubs, including China, were closed on account of the Lunar New Year holidays. ...

Indonesia secures 19% tariff deal with US, palm oil and other commodities exempt

Indonesia and the United States finalised a trade deal to cut U.S. levies to 19% from 32% on goods shipped from Southeast Asia's biggest economy, with Jakarta securing tariff exemptions for its top...

Ukraine's 2026 defence exports could hit 'several billion dollars', official says

Ukraine could export several billion dollars of military goods and services this year after authorising its first wartime foreign sales and is considering introducing a tax on those exports, a senior...

Soufflet Malt bets on India's growing beer market with new facility

France's Soufflet Malt, the world's largest malt producer, will invest 100 million euros in a new production facility in India as it aims to capture rising beer demand in emerging markets, it said on...

Indian shares set for muted start, sentiment subdued on US-Iran tensions

India's equity benchmarks are likely to open little changed on Friday, but sentiment is expected to remain subdued amid a jump in oil prices to a six-month high due to U.S.-Iran tensions. ...

Nutrien expects higher potash demand despite tough conditions for farmers

Top world potash producer Nutrien expects increased demand for the crop nutrient in 2026 despite farmers cutting back on phosphate fertilizer and facing low returns.  On its...

Solar industry accelerates shift from silver as costs soar

Solar panel producers are intensifying efforts to replace silver with alternatives such as copper after silver rallied 130% over the past year, squeezing margins already under pressure from production...

TSX opens lower as healthcare, mining shares drag 

Canada's main stock index opened lower on Thursday, mirroring moves on Wall Street, with weakness in mining and healthcare shares leading broad-based declines on the benchmark. At 09:32...

India's Maharashtra powers farms off main grid to jump transmission hurdles, exec says

India's Maharashtra state is using local sources to power farms amid delayed transmission projects, even as it races to boost clean-energy generation, the chairman of the country's top power...

Standard Bank sells Africa's first safety-buffer bonds designed for bank crises

Standard Bank Group Ltd has raised 2 billion rand , it said on Thursday, through the continent's first issuance of a type of bond designed to act as a buffer in banking crises, known as Flac notes. ...

Teck Resources beats quarterly profit on higher copper prices, output

Teck Resources beat fourth-quarter profit expectations on Thursday, helped by a surge in copper prices and production, as the Canadian miner advanced its proposed merger with Anglo American. ...

Bearish bets on Asian currencies rise as Mideast war stokes energy shock worries

Short positions on most Asian currencies have crept higher as an escalating war in the Middle East has stoked worries over the crippling effect high energy prices could have on several economies in...

Nestle adds ice cream sale to CEO's growing disposal to-do list

Nestle said on Thursday it was in talks to sell its remaining in-house ice cream business, adding to planned disposals of water and vitamin assets as CEO Philipp Navratil pushes to streamline the...

How China plans to dominate global trade long after Trump

China sees an opening to turn President Donald Trump's tariffs to its advantage by reshaping global trade in ways that would insulate its $19 trillion economy from U.S. pressure far into the future. ...

Gold Fields boosts shareholder returns after profit more than doubles

South Africa's Gold Fields said on Thursday its full-year profit more than doubled, driven by record-high bullion prices and increased output, which allowed the miner to boost dividends and announce a...

IMF completes Niger program reviews, approves about $91 million in funding

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it has approved about $91 million in funding for Niger after completing reviews of programs under its Extended Credit Facility and Resilience and...

Congo state firm strikes deal to sell copper from Glencore mine, Bloomberg News reports

The Democratic Republic of Congo struck a deal to tender copper from a major Glencore operation in the country, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. DRC's state miner Gecamines has...