Economy & Finance

Economy, finance, markets, luxury and geopolitics — macro signals that influence the art market and collecting.

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Global assets under management set to hit US$200 trillion by 2030 economy-finance
Even with the ongoing challenges in politics and the economy, stock markets are doing really well, driven by a huge wave of investments looking for limited real-world chances.…
US Sanctions China-Based Oil Refinery and 40 Shippers Over Iran Oil economy-finance
On Friday, the Trump administration announced economic sanctions targeting Hengli Petrochemical's refinery located in Dalian, China, along with approximately 40 shipping companies…
US and EU sign critical minerals pact to reduce China dependence economy-finance
The United States and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to deepen coordination on critical minerals, aiming to reduce reliance on China for…
EU swaps Russian energy dependence for US reliance amid Nord Stream and Druzhba disputes economy-finance
The European Union is replacing its dependence on Russian energy with reliance on the United States, as illustrated by disputes over the Druzhba oil pipeline through Ukraine and…
US drops criminal probe of Fed chair Powell, likely clearing way for nominee Warsh economy-finance
The criminal investigation by the US Justice Department into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has concluded, clearing a significant hurdle for the Senate's confirmation of his…
CDU's Fossil Fuel Plan Undermines Long-Term Economic Resilience economy-finance
Germany is experiencing a climate policy rollback as the federal government prioritizes short-term economic relief over climate protection. Friedrich Merz, CDU leader, stated in a…
Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholders Reject CEO David Zaslav's $886M Pay Package economy-finance
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's compensation package, potentially worth up to $886 million tied to the company's merger with Paramount, was rejected by 82% of…
Optical module makers surge as AI boom drives demand economy-finance
The rise of artificial intelligence has unexpectedly boosted Chinese optical module makers. Zhongji Innolight, the world leader in this sector, has seen its stock skyrocket…
Europe's Wind Power Dilemma: Balancing Chinese Imports and Local Production economy-finance
At WindEurope's expo in Madrid, European policymakers and industry leaders debated China's role in the continent's wind power expansion amid the Middle East energy crisis. Pierre…
Spot Bitcoin ETFs See $1.9B Inflow as BTC Nears $80K Resistance economy-finance
Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a total net inflow of approximately $1.9 billion from April 14 to 22, according to Coinglass data. The inflows occurred as Bitcoin traded around the…
US Congress advances largest export control package against China economy-finance
The US House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced 20 new export control measures on Wednesday, including the Match Act, to restrict Chinese access to US technology and semiconductor…
Young Chinese Women Redefine Money as Risk Management Tool economy-finance
A recent piece by Sixth Tone delves into the changing perspectives of young Chinese women regarding the significance of money as economic stability declines. As this generation…
Trump's 'gold card' visa approved for only one person so far economy-finance
During a congressional committee hearing on Thursday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick disclosed that only one individual has received President Donald Trump's 'gold card'…
German Pension System Fails Savers with ETF and Basic Income economy-finance
A personal account in Der Freitag highlights the paradox of private retirement savings in Germany: despite investing in ETFs, individuals may still face poverty and need basic…
Warner Bros shareholders approve Paramount's $111bn takeover economy-finance
Shareholders of Warner Bros Discovery have given the green light for a $111 billion acquisition by Paramount, which will combine significant media properties such as Harry Potter,…
Warner Bros Discovery shareholders back $110bn Paramount Skydance merger economy-finance
On Thursday, shareholders of Warner Bros Discovery sanctioned the company's $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, but they expressed disapproval regarding the executive…
Naphtha shortage threatens Asia's photoresist supply for chipmaking economy-finance
A naphtha crunch, triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since early March, is disrupting the supply of photoresist—a critical material for semiconductor…
China's SAMR launches first campaign to clean up online ad ecosystem, targeting AI misuse economy-finance
On Thursday, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) unveiled a six-month initiative aimed at addressing issues within the nation's internet advertising…
EU Approves $106 Billion Loan to Ukraine After Hungary Lifts Veto economy-finance
The European Union approved a €90 billion ($106 billion) loan package for Ukraine on Thursday, after Hungary lifted its veto. The funds will support Ukraine's economic and…
Chinese economist Fu Peng joins Bitfire as chief scientist, hails crypto's historic rise economy-finance
Chinese economist Fu Peng has joined Hong Kong-listed crypto asset management firm Bitfire Group as chief scientist, praising digital assets' 'historical' leap into mainstream…
Euro and yuan unlikely to rival US dollar, says economist Daniel Gros economy-finance
Daniel Gros, director of the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University, argues that neither the euro nor the Chinese yuan will match the US dollar as a global…
Huangyan: The Chinese Town Powering Tesla's Supply Chain economy-finance
Huangyan, an industrial district in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, eastern China, is a little-known hub for plastic components and moulding equipment that underpins global…
Carney rejects US demand for 'entry fee' before trade talks economy-finance
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that the United States does not dictate the terms of upcoming trade negotiations, following reports that the Trump…
San Diego Mayor Proposes 85% Arts Budget Cut Amid Deficit economy-finance
Mayor Todd Gloria of San Diego has unveiled a draft budget for FY2027 that suggests a drastic reduction in funding for arts and culture, cutting it from around $13.8 million to…
Fitch Report Highlights Chinese Battery Makers' Global Dominance Amid Energy Storage Demand Shifts economy-finance
Chinese battery manufacturers are positioned to benefit from changing global energy storage needs, according to Fitch analysis. Wang noted at a Beijing media briefing that China's…
Trump nominee Kevin Warsh signals shift to 'monetary sovereignty' at Fed economy-finance
Kevin Warsh, a potential successor to Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair, has indicated a policy shift toward 'monetary sovereignty' that could reduce global liquidity and…
Iran Conflict Exposes US Energy Dependence Myth economy-finance
Despite rhetoric of energy independence, the US remains a net crude oil importer, relying on medium sour barrels from the Persian Gulf that its refineries are designed to process.…
AI Development Disparities Reshape Luxury Brand Strategies Worldwide economy-finance
Artificial intelligence systems are advancing at varying rates globally, creating fragmented technological landscapes. This uneven development is fundamentally altering consumer…
Mainland China insurers pour funds into Hong Kong IPOs economy-finance
Insurers from mainland China are ramping up their investments in initial public offerings in Hong Kong, thanks to Beijing's push for long-term investments and the need for better…
Chinese Shipyards Gain Oil Tanker Orders Amid Iran War Demand economy-finance
Chinese shipyards are experiencing a significant influx of oil tanker orders, fueled by the ongoing conflict in Iran and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. They are capitalizing…
Fed Nominee Kevin Warsh Advocates Central Bank Overhaul Amid Powell Probe economy-finance
During a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing, Federal Reserve chief nominee Kevin Warsh called for a 'regime change' at the US central bank. He criticized the Fed's…
Citic Securities Analysts Warn of 'Hormuz Moment' Threatening US Global Dominance economy-finance
Analysts from Beijing-based Citic Securities published a report on Saturday comparing current tensions in the Strait of Hormuz to Britain's 'Suez moment' in the 1950s, suggesting…
Memecoins: A $150 Billion Market Where 97% of Projects Fail and 28% of Investors Report Scam Losses economy-finance
By 2024, the valuation of the memecoin sector soared to $150 billion, with thousands of new tokens introduced each day. In 2021, Dogecoin boasted a market cap of $88 billion. A…
China's economic resilience tested by Hormuz crisis amid global supply chain fragility economy-finance
In an article published on Monday in People's Daily, Zheng pointed out the growing prevalence of geopolitical tensions and the ease with which they can be ignited, driven by…
Ethereum Outperforms Bitcoin in 2026 as Capital Shows Early Rotation Signs economy-finance
For the first time in 2026, Ethereum is surpassing Bitcoin, with the ETH/BTC ratio reaching 0.0306, its highest point in several months. Currently, Bitcoin is valued at…
ByteDance's AI investments slash profits as TikTok Shop drives overseas revenue surge economy-finance
ByteDance's profits plummeted by 70 percent due to heavy investments in artificial intelligence, according to reports from Securities Times and 36Kr on Monday. Despite this…
Art logistics face crisis as war disrupts routes and sends costs soaring economy-finance
The ongoing US-Israel tensions with Iran have significantly affected the global transportation of art, leading to increased costs and the closure of certain routes. As of April 2,…
Bank of England Hosts Stakeholder Event on UK Bank Capital Framework Review economy-finance
On March 20, 2026, the Bank of England convened an event for the Financial Policy Committee to assess the capital requirements of UK banks, bringing together senior officials from…
Crypto Market Faces Severe Contraction in Q1 2026 with Over 20 Project Shutdowns economy-finance
In the first quarter of 2026, the cryptocurrency industry experienced significant upheaval, with more than twenty projects shutting down and the market capitalization plummeting…
Mark Carney Calls Canada's Economic Dependence on US a Weakness Requiring Correction economy-finance
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared in a Sunday video address that Canada's economic reliance on the United States has transformed from a historical strength into a…

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