A rundown of the most important global business stories you need to know for the coming day, from the newsroom of the Financial Times. Available every weekday morning.
Just a few weeks ago, US President Donald Trump was ready to levy tariffs on basically every nation. Today, many of those tariffs have been paused or tempered. Additionally, this week he promised he will not be firing Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell, despite his earlier criticism. Should we expect more backstepping from Trump in the face of economic data? And what do the voters think of it all? FT economics editor Sam Fleming joins alongside Jon McHenry, vice-president of the conservative polls...
Apple plans to shift the assembly of all US-sold iPhones to India as soon as next year, factories in China have begun slowing production and furloughing some workers in the aftermath of US tariffs, and Alphabet shares rose after it reported first-quarter profit surged 46 per cent. Plus, the Trump administration wants to stamp out one of America’s enduring financial pastimes: writing paper cheques. Mentioned in this podcast: Alphabet shares jump as Google search boosts profits Apple aims to sourc...
Sir Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen will on Thursday finalise plans for a new defence pact, US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has accused the IMF and World Bank of “mission creep” and Boeing reported lower than expected losses. Plus, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk looks to right the electric-car company by reducing his role in the Trump administration. Mentioned in this podcast: UK and EU finalise plans for defence pact Musk drives Tesla calmly through investors’ red lights Scott Bessen...
Tesla’s first-quarter adjusted profits dropped 39 per cent and the IMF has downgraded outlooks for G7 nations and big economies such as China and India. Plus, we take a look at whether BP can turn things around to catch up with its rivals. Mentioned in this podcast: Elon Musk to prioritise Tesla over White House role as profits slump IMF warns of rising US recession risk and defends Fed policy Vladimir Putin offers to halt Ukraine invasion along current front line Will going back to basics resto...
Wall Street stocks dropped as President Donald Trump attacked Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell, Pope Francis passed away on Monday after leading the Catholic Church for 12 years, and more than half of nearly 1,500 business leaders support a shift to a renewables-based electricity system. Plus, Europe is now seeking to take advantage of China’s electric vehicle manufacturing expertise. Mentioned in this podcast: US stocks and dollar sink as Trump renews attacks on Fed chair Powell Pope Francis di...
Luxury goods were supposed to be making a comeback this year. But US President Donald Trump’s trade war has complicated that and things are looking grim for the industry. The FT’s fashion editor Lauren Indvik explains where things stand with LVMH, Prada and others. Mentioned in this podcast: Donald Trump’s trade war shatters hopes of 2025 luxury revival The FT News Briefing is produced by Katya Kumcova, Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. ...
Swamp Notes is taking this weekend off so instead we wanted to share the latest episode from our fellow FT podcast, The Rachman Review. Nuclear talks between the US and Iran began last weekend in Oman, and are set to continue in the coming weeks. President Trump has warned that if the talks fail the US could take military action against the Islamic republic – an idea that Israel's government is pressing for. In this episode, we unpack what a new nuclear deal with Iran might look like – and how i...
This episode of the FT News Briefing covers China halting US liquefied natural gas imports due to tariffs, Japan's trade negotiations with the US amidst unexpected tactics from Donald Trump, the European Central Bank's interest rate cut, and astronomers finding potential signs of life on a planet 124 light years away.
This episode of the FT News Briefing covers several key economic stories. It begins with the Federal Reserve's concerns about tariffs impacting inflation and employment. Then explores the unexpected outperformance of emerging markets compared to U.S. stocks. The briefing also discusses the drop in UK inflation and potential interest rate cuts, concluding with challenges in the chip industry due to trade tensions and market uncertainty.
Nvidia says it expects to take a $5.5bn blow as the US clamps down on the Silicon Valley group’s ability to export artificial intelligence chips to China, and PwC is exiting 12 countries. Plus, the junk bond market has basically ground to a halt, and India’s middle class is dealing with a debt crisis that could impact the country’s growth ambitions. Mentioned in this podcast: Nvidia to take $5.5bn hit as US clamps down on exports of AI chip to China Risky corporate borrowers shut out of bond mar...
Brussels is exploring legal options that would allow European companies to break long-term Russian gas contracts, and Goldman Sachs had a mixed first quarter. Plus, China’s President Xi Jinping is traveling around south-east Asia to make the case that Beijing is open for business, and Argentina just landed a $20bn deal with the IMF. Mentioned in this podcast: Xi Jinping warns ‘no winners’ from Trump trade war as he heads to Vietnam Argentina secures $20bn IMF deal by relaxing currency controls G...
This episode discusses the potential temporary nature of US tariff exemptions on electronics, the surprisingly positive earnings reports from big banks despite economic headwinds, the growing defense cooperation between the EU and the UK, the risk of a brain drain from US universities due to Trump administration policies, and a new AI tool for workplace compliments.
US President Donald Trump’s global trade war has made a mess for the Federal Reserve. Despite an encouraging US consumer price index report this week, there are major concerns about the inflationary nature of Trump’s tariffs. Meanwhile, the Fed has cut growth forecasts. And if all that wasn’t enough, Trump is breathing down chair Jay Powell’s neck to cut interest rates. The FT’s US economics editor Claire Jones and economics commentator Chris Giles explain why the central bank is caught in a dif...
US inflation fell more than expected to 2.4 per cent in March, and France’s Renault is one of the few carmakers insulated from Donald Trump’s trade war. Plus, Indonesia is looking to run its colossal new sovereign wealth fund “like a public company”. Mentioned in this podcast: US inflation falls more than expected to 2.4% in March Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund vows transparency ‘like a public company’ Renault emerges as winner in Trump tariff chaos Sky to bring hit US series ‘Saturday...
US stocks surged on Wednesday after Donald Trump paused ‘reciprocal’ tariffs for 90 days. Plus, the EU and China are working on a new trade relationship because of the levies. Meanwhile, Apple is looking to boost production in India. Mentioned in this podcast: EU calls for ‘negotiated resolution’ with China in face of US tariffs Apple turns to India to help ease Trump’s China tariffs US stocks soar as Donald Trump backs down in global trade war The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, So...
Donald Trump is pushing ahead with another 50 per cent tariff on Chinese goods, and there are questions about what will happen to nearly $2tn worth of pledges to invest in the US because of the levies. Plus, the FT’s Katie Martin explains why a selloff in US Treasuries could mean a world of hurt for markets. Mentioned in this podcast: Donald Trump to proceed with extra 50% tariff on China as trade war escalates US tariffs threaten almost $2tn of investment pledges by global companies Markets cou...
Equities markets continued to adapt to the tariffs unleashed by US President Donald Trump, oil prices hit a four-year low on Monday, and investors are expecting the European Central Bank to make two rate cuts by July. Plus, the FT’s Stephen Foley explains how consultants are advising their clients on limiting the damage from tariffs. Mentioned in this podcast: Oil drops further as fears of global recession rise Companies get creative in finding ways to limit impact of Trump’s tariffs ECB expecte...
The UK plans to introduce a lighter regulatory regime for private equity and hedge funds, and Italy may block an EU plan to respond to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Plus, popular ‘private browsing’ apps hosted by Apple and Google may violate American sanctions, and the trade war has triggered the biggest sell-off in the US junk bond market since 2020. Mentioned in this podcast: Apple and Google app stores host VPNs linked to sanctions-hit Chinese group Britain to dilute rules for private ...
Ed Luce analyzes Trump's new tariffs, revealing they are based on trade surpluses rather than actual trade barriers, causing global economic disruption. This aggressively unilateralist approach isolates the US, pushing other countries towards China and undermining America's negotiating power on global issues. Domestically, the tariffs are expected to raise prices and negatively impact Trump's approval ratings, potentially leading to voter backlash.
US President Donald Trump’s tariffs caused a global market sell-off on Thursday. Now, there are concerns that these levies will push the US into a recession. We speak to the FT’s senior markets correspondent Ian Smith and our economics editor Sam Fleming about the repercussions. Mentioned in this podcast: Dollar drops as Donald Trump’s tariffs stoke economic fears Bling, bags and booze fall victim to Trump’s trade war Will Donald Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs drag US into recession? The FT Ne...
The FT News Briefing discusses Trump's new tariffs on trading partners and the implications for the global trade landscape. It also covers Tesla's stock surge amid reports of Elon Musk potentially leaving his government role, and the challenges Tesla faces. Finally, the briefing analyzes the impact of Marine Le Pen's ban from standing in French elections.
US venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz is in talks to invest in social media platform TikTok, US President Donald Trump is expected to lay out his sweeping tariffs policy today, and European inflation is down for the second straight month. Plus, Syria’s White Helmets have returned to Damascus as the country tries to rebuild from its brutal civil war. Mentioned in this podcast: Andreessen Horowitz in talks to help buy out TikTok’s Chinese owners What to expect on ‘liberation day’ Eurozone i...
Google’s artificial intelligence arm DeepMind has been holding back the release of its world-renowned research, and Elon Musk has poured an unprecedented amount of money into a Wisconsin state supreme court race. Plus, Lebanon’s new central bank governor Karim Souaid has been mired in controversy. Mentioned in this podcast: DeepMind slows down research releases in battle to keep competitive edge The people vs Elon Musk: billionaire transforms Wisconsin court contest Lebanon closes in on next cen...
Investors warn that higher bond yields in Germany could make it harder for EU members to increase defence spending, and the tech world’s largest public offering in 18 months fell flat on Friday. China was targeted by a record number of trade disputes at the World Trade Organization last year, and traders in Gaza are charging commissions of 30% on hard currency due to severe shortages. Mentioned in this podcast: Germany’s spending push drives up borrowing costs across Eurozone CoreWeave treads wa...
As Congress works through President Donald Trump’s recent budget, one of the likeliest cuts on the chopping block is Medicaid. The government health insurance programme is used by one in five Americans, including many voters who make up Trump’s Maga base. So could cuts to Medicaid actually threaten Trump’s hold on Republicans? Washington bureau chief James Politi and US politics and society correspondent Guy Chazan are on to discuss if a showdown is coming between the party’s fiscal hawks and th...
US President Donald Trump’s auto tariffs hit carmaker shares and Chinese financial authorities have told some companies they can start launching mainland initial public offerings. Plus, protesters in Turkey are worried about the future of their democracy. Mentioned in this podcast: China opens path to revival in A-share listings Donald Trump’s tariffs throw car industry into turmoil Turkish protesters rise up against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hut...
The US will impose tariffs of 25 per cent on imports of foreign-made autos and Piyush Gupta will step down after 16 years as chief executive at Singapore’s DBS bank. UK inflation unexpectedly fell to 2.8 per cent in February, and Rolls-Royce has seen its share price skyrocket since 2023, in large part due to chief executive Tufan Erginbilgiç. Mentioned in this podcast: Donald Trump to impose 25% tariff on US auto imports DBS and Jack Ma: how a meeting helped change the history of Singapore’s big...
Beijing has introduced environmental restrictions that would prevent Chinese companies from buying Nvidia’s bestselling processors, UK chancellor Rachel Reeves will update the country on Wednesday on the latest economic growth forecasts, and Shell has said it will cut costs and spending, especially in clean energy. Plus, individual investors have pumped almost $70bn into US stocks this year even as professional money managers are slashing their exposure. Mentioned in this podcast: Nvidia’s China...
Sources tell the FT that China is considering including services in a multibillion-dollar subsidy programme to stimulate consumption, software giant SAP has become Europe’s most valuable company, and BYD’s annual sales have topped $100bn for the first time. Plus, Elon Musk’s Starlink is set to cement its dominance this year, but his ties to US President Donald Trump are shifting from an asset to a liability. Mentioned in this podcast: China explores services subsidy to boost weak domestic demand...
Canada’s new prime minister calls snap elections, European investors in US equities have been dealt a double blow, and carmakers try to get ahead of US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs. Plus, a group of top tennis players has accused the game’s governing bodies of trapping them in an unfair system. Mentioned in this podcast: Mark Carney calls snap election for Canada citing ‘crisis’ caused by Trump Dollar slump magnifies stock market pain for foreign investors Carmakers rush to ship vehicles...
