State Economics

Business

Honda's December Production Rebounds 4% Globally, But Annual Output Slips Amid Regional Shifts

Honda Motor posted a 4.3% year-on-year increase in global vehicle production for December 2025, recovering from a steep November slump. However, the automaker's full-year 2025 output fell nearly 9%, highlighting uneven regional performance with North America rebounding sharply while Asia, particularly China, saw significant declines.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Venture Global Secures Key Arbitration Win Against Repsol, Easing Investor Concerns Over LNG Contract Stability

A final arbitration ruling in favor of Venture Global LNG against Spain's Repsol resolves a high-stakes contractual dispute, providing clarity on cash flows and bolstering confidence in the company's long-term project viability amid volatile energy markets.

Feb 2, 2026

World

Thailand's Political Survivor: Anutin Charnvirakul's Canny Path to Power Faces Voter Test

As Thailand heads to the polls, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul—a master political operator known for his ability to navigate crises—seeks to retain power. His tenure has been marked by strategic reversals, controversial policies, and the delicate balancing of conservative elites and public expectations.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

India's 2026 Budget Doubles Down on Crypto Rules: 30% Tax Stays, New Penalties Introduced for Reporting Lapses

India's latest budget proposal maintains its stringent 30% tax on crypto gains and 1% TDS, while introducing a new penalty regime for non-compliance with transaction reporting, including daily fines and a flat $545 charge for errors.

Feb 2, 2026

World

Europe's $955 Billion Recovery Fund Faces Uphill Battle to Deliver Lasting Economic Transformation

As the EU's landmark 'Next Generation' fund nears its final payout deadlines, its ambitious goal of modernizing the bloc's economy is being hampered by bureaucracy, skills gaps, and questions over long-term sustainability, despite pockets of innovation.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Story Protocol Delays $IP Token Unlock to 2026 Amid Stalled Adoption and Market Jitters

Citing weak network usage and a need to strengthen its economic model, the IP-centric blockchain Story Protocol has pushed back its major token supply unlock by six months to August 2026, aiming to mitigate sell-off risks and buy time for growth.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Germany's Gold Dilemma: Should Berlin Repatriate Its $100 Billion Reserves from the U.S.?

As transatlantic tensions simmer, a renewed push to bring home Germany's gold stored in New York vaults sparks debate over financial security, political symbolism, and Cold War-era trust.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Abu Dhabi's Ruya Partners Seeks $400 Million for Major Gulf Private Credit Fund

Backed by regional sovereign wealth giants, Ruya Partners is launching a $400 million fund to address middle-market lending gaps in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, positioning itself as a key player in the Gulf's burgeoning private credit landscape.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

The Utah Banker Who Built a Wall: Marriner Eccles and the Battle for Fed Independence

As political pressure on the Federal Reserve intensifies, the legacy of Marriner Eccles—the Utah banker who architected its modern independence—offers a crucial lesson. A BYU expert explains why shielding monetary policy from politics remains vital for economic stability.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Euro's Surge Casts Shadow Over ECB Policy Meeting

The European Central Bank convenes this week with a resurgent euro presenting a fresh dilemma, threatening to dampen inflation and undermine the export engine of the eurozone's largest economies just as recovery gains momentum.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Oracle Seeks Massive $50 Billion War Chest to Fuel AI Cloud Race, Despite Cash Flow Strain

Oracle Corp. plans a colossal $45-$50 billion capital raise in 2026 to expand its cloud infrastructure, aiming to meet surging demand from AI giants like OpenAI and Nvidia. The move comes as the company's aggressive data center spending pushes its free cash flow negative, a condition projected to last for years.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Super Bowl LX Sparks Frenzy: Silicon Valley Mansions Command Up to $500K for Week-Long Stays

With luxury hotels fully booked, affluent Super Bowl attendees are turning to off-market mega-mansions in the Bay Area, driving last-minute rental prices to unprecedented heights of up to half a million dollars for a single week.

Feb 2, 2026

World

Oil Prices Slide 3% as U.S.-Iran Tensions Show Signs of Thaw

Crude futures retreated sharply on Monday after weekend comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggested diplomatic engagement with Iran, easing fears of a military confrontation that had recently buoyed markets.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Japan's Manufacturing Sector Roars Back: PMI Hits 3.5-Year High on Surging Demand

Japan's manufacturing activity expanded at its fastest pace since mid-2022 in January, a key private survey shows, driven by robust domestic and international orders. While the sector's revival is clear, rising input costs and inflation concerns temper the optimism.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

Zuckerberg's AI Roadmap Signals Sustained Demand for Nvidia's Chips

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's forecast of a major AI infrastructure build-out through 2026 suggests continued robust spending on Nvidia's hardware, reinforcing the chipmaker's central role in the ongoing tech boom.

Feb 2, 2026

Business

China's Manufacturing Momentum Stalls in January, Slipping Back into Contraction

China's factory activity unexpectedly contracted in January, official data shows, reversing a brief December expansion and underscoring persistent domestic demand challenges despite robust exports.

Jan 31, 2026

Business

The AI Boom's Overlooked Crisis: Vertiv CEO Warns of Critical Cooling Bottleneck as Chip Power Soars

As Nvidia's Blackwell and Rubin chips push power densities to unprecedented levels, the $4 trillion AI revolution faces a formidable physical constraint: heat. Vertiv Holdings, a critical infrastructure provider, is emerging as an essential player in solving this thermal challenge, with surging demand signaling a major shift in data center economics.

Jan 31, 2026

Business

Trump's Fed Nominee Kevin Warsh Champions Unconventional Path to Cheaper Mortgages

President Trump's pick to lead the Federal Reserve, former governor Kevin Warsh, advocates for a dramatic shift in central bank strategy—shrinking its balance sheet—as the key to lowering mortgage rates, a move that challenges prevailing economic orthodoxy.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Washington Braces for Partial Shutdown: Economic Fallout Expected to Be Limited, But Not Painless

With a midnight deadline looming, Congress remains gridlocked, pushing the federal government toward a partial shutdown. While economists predict minimal macroeconomic damage from a brief closure, the disruption to services and federal workers' paychecks will be felt immediately.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Eastman Chemical Navigates Earnings Slump with Deep Cuts and Bet on Advanced Recycling

Facing its weakest annual profit in years, Eastman Chemical is doubling down on cost reductions while banking on its molecular recycling technology to fuel a turnaround by 2026, despite a challenging global economic climate.

Jan 30, 2026