Economy & Finance

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

Most recent stories

Concert spending surges as fans prioritize live experiences over subscriptions economy-finance
Consumers are now spending significantly more than the cost of an annual streaming subscription for just three hours of music at large stadiums, fundamentally altering the live…
Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs as video game industry crisis deepens economy-finance
On July 6, 2026, Microsoft revealed plans to eliminate 4,800 positions, with 3,200 of those in its Xbox divisions, as it navigates challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic. The…
Cantor and Securitize Partner to Bring IPOs On-chain economy-finance
On July 15, Cantor Fitzgerald and Securitize revealed their collaboration aimed at integrating IPOs and follow-on offerings from public firms into blockchain technology. This…
CXMT IPO oversubscribed 212 times in Shanghai listing economy-finance
CXMT, China's leading DRAM producer, saw its Shanghai IPO oversubscribed 212 times, with nearly 10 million investor accounts applying for shares. The overwhelming demand triggered…
US Imposes 25% Tariffs on Brazilian Imports Over Trade Disputes economy-finance
Effective July 22, the U.S. will implement a 25% tariff on the majority of imports from Brazil, following a year-long Section 301 investigation. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson…
OnePlus exits Western markets amid chip shortage crisis economy-finance
Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus is withdrawing from Western markets as a global memory chip shortage severely impacts the industry. The company will continue supporting existing…
Four Greek MPs Charged in €19.6 Million EU Farm Subsidy Fraud economy-finance
European prosecutors have charged four Greek MPs for their alleged involvement in a massive farm subsidy fraud scheme that defrauded the European Union of over €19.6 million…
TSMC posts record profit, pledges $100B more for Arizona chip plants economy-finance
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) reported a record net income of NT$706.56 billion for the second quarter, a 77.4% year-over-year increase and the fifth consecutive…
Italian Cultural Sector Employs 1.54 Million, Generates 115.8 Billion Euros in 2025 economy-finance
Fondazione Symbola's 'Io sono Cultura 2026' report, produced with Unioncamere and other partners, reveals that Italy's cultural and creative industries generated 115.8 billion…
China's zero-tariff policy drives surge in African imports economy-finance
In May, China experienced a remarkable 21.1% increase in imports from Africa, which further escalated to 40.2% in June compared to the previous year, surpassing the overall growth…
China's dominance in pharmaceutical ingredients poses challenge for West economy-finance
China has become a dominant supplier of pharmaceutical ingredients, supplying 40% of global active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and nearly 41% of key starting materials…
CNN's Pivotal Role in Paramount-WBD Merger: Politics and Debt economy-finance
The proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery hinges significantly on CNN, despite appearances. President Trump has signaled a desire for new CNN…
UK to Launch First G7 Digital Sovereign Bond by Early 2027 economy-finance
The UK is gearing up to be the first G7 nation to introduce a digital sovereign bond, called the Digital Gilt Instrument (DIGIT), with a launch expected by early 2027. Chancellor…
US writers' union and 12 states sue to block Warner-Paramount merger economy-finance
Two lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to prevent the merger of Warner and Paramount, which would create the largest buyer…
ASML Raises 2026 Forecast Again on AI Chip Demand economy-finance
ASML announced impressive second-quarter net sales of €9.3 billion, surpassing forecasts, and upgraded its full-year revenue outlook for the second time this year, driven by…
Germany's Culture Budget 2027: Pop Funding Cut, Bayreuth Boosted economy-finance
Germany's 2027 culture budget draft reveals a 22% cut to Initiative Musik, halved funding for the Reeperbahn Festival and the Festival Promotion Fund, and reduced amateur music…
Hong Kong SFC Approves Baillie Gifford's Blockchain-Based Tokenised Fund economy-finance
Hong Kong is ramping up its rivalry with the United States to establish itself as a premier global crypto center. On Wednesday, British fund manager Baillie Gifford revealed that…
Iran Threatens to Close Red Sea Gateway as US Renews Blockade economy-finance
Iran has signaled that it may close more key maritime routes, like the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, due to the US reintroducing a blockade. On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard…
CXMT sets record with $85 billion valuation in Shanghai IPO economy-finance
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), a DRAM producer located in Hefei, Anhui province, has set the price for its initial public offering in Shanghai at 8.66 yuan ($1.28) per…
Paramount-Warner $110B Merger Opposed by Writers Guild and 12 US States economy-finance
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has filed a legal challenge against the proposed $110 billion merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount, arguing that the consolidation threatens the…
Trump's 'Genius Act' vs Digital Euro: The Battle Over Money's Future economy-finance
The debate over digital currency has resurfaced, pitting private stablecoins against state-issued central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). US President Donald Trump promotes…
Bitcoin Approaches Fidelity's Power Law Support Level Near $58,000 economy-finance
Bitcoin is currently hovering near the lower limit of Fidelity Investments' established Power Law model, which has aligned with every significant market low since 2015. Jurrien…
US Inflation Eases but Fed Chair Warsh Signals No Tolerance for Persistent Price Hikes economy-finance
Recent data from the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates a reduction in inflation, attributed to decreases in costs for motor vehicle insurance, communication, apparel,…
UK Regulators Propose Tailored Captive Insurance Regime to Boost Competitiveness economy-finance
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have proposed a new regulatory framework for captive insurance in the UK, aiming to establish the…
EU sanctions on Russia create fish stick crisis economy-finance
The European Union's sanctions on Russia have led to an unexpected shortage of fish sticks in Germany. The sanctions, which were agreed upon after Hungary's Viktor Orbán dropped…
Oil Prices Hit One-Month High as US Reinstates Iran Naval Blockade economy-finance
On Tuesday, oil prices surged to a one-month peak following the announcement of a naval blockade of Iranian ports by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), set to take effect at 4 p.m.…
China's chip exports surge 96% in first half of 2024 amid AI boom economy-finance
China's integrated circuit exports nearly doubled in the first half of 2024, driven by global AI demand. Customs data shows 179.44 billion ICs worth US$177.28 billion were…
State theatre companies face financial strain amid rising costs and limited spending economy-finance
A new analysis of state theatre companies' financial data over the past three years reveals widespread financial strain, driven by increased production costs and reduced consumer…
Pentagon invests US$25 million in rare earths start-up ReElement Technologies economy-finance
On Monday, the US Department of Defence revealed a $25 million investment in the rare earths startup ReElement Technologies. This funding is part of the Trump administration's…
Twelve states sue to block Paramount's $110 billion Warner Bros. merger economy-finance
On Monday, a coalition of twelve attorneys general, spearheaded by California's Rob Bonta, initiated legal proceedings in the U.S. District Court for Northern California to…
Shein Wins China Approval for Hong Kong IPO Targeting $40B Valuation economy-finance
On Friday, Shein secured the green light from China's securities regulator for an initial public offering in Hong Kong, marking a significant milestone in its pursuit of going…
GoPro Founder Loans Company $20 Million Amid Financial Crisis economy-finance
Nicholas Woodman, the founder and CEO of GoPro, is injecting $20 million into the beleaguered camera manufacturer via senior secured notes and warrants for Class B common stock.…
California Film Tax Credit Cap Sparks Lawmaker Backlash economy-finance
California state legislators are protesting a new cap placed on the state's film and TV production incentive program, which they argue threatens the industry. The cap, part of a…
Inflazione e salari reali: l'analisi di Leonardi, Rizzo e Romanello economy-finance
Marco Leonardi, Leonzio Rizzo e Anita Romanello analizzano il legame tra inflazione e salari in Italia, citando Keynes, Einaudi e Gramsci per sottolineare come l'inflazione non…
China Life launches $737M semiconductor fund as Beijing urges 'patient capital' economy-finance
China Life Insurance, the country's largest life insurer backed by the State Council, announced a 5 billion yuan (US$737 million) partnership fund to invest in semiconductor…
AI Boom Drives Memory Chip Crisis in Shenzhen Electronics Hub economy-finance
In Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei electronics hub, computer vendors are raising prices as the AI boom drives a fivefold jump in memory chip costs. Traders like Cai and Ye report that…
EU leverages Airbus sales to China amid C919 certification delays economy-finance
China Eastern Airlines ordered 25 A330neo jets from Airbus last month, valued at a catalogue price of US$9.35 billion. This follows another Airbus order placed just three months…
IMF warns AI investment boom won't benefit all economies equally economy-finance
The International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook report, published July 8, projects global growth of 3% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027, down from 3.5% in 2024-25. While…
Russia's diesel export ban jolts global energy markets economy-finance
Russia's ban on diesel exports has caused price spikes in Europe and the US, threatening agriculture, power, and transport. Diesel accounts for the largest share of global oil…
Sony Bank Gets OCC Nod for Stablecoin Trust Bank economy-finance
Sony Bank, a subsidiary of Sony Financial Group, has received conditional authorization from the U.S. OCC to create Connectia Trust, National Association, a national trust bank…

Browse by theme

Exhibitions
Solo shows, group exhibitions, openings, extensions, and closings in galleries, museums, and independent spaces.
Artists
Profiles, interviews, new works, residencies, collaborations, and careers of contemporary artists.
Market & Auctions
Market trends, sales, auction results, major lots, records, and analysis from Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips and others.
Awards
Awards, scholarships, recognitions, nominations, and winners in the art world.
Festivals & Fairs
Art fairs, biennials, triennials, festivals and cultural manifestations — Art Basel, Frieze, TEFAF, Venice Biennale and beyond.
Institutional
Appointments, leadership changes, museum policies, funding, acquisitions and institutional strategies.
Cultural heritage
Restorations, protection, restitutions, UNESCO heritage, legislation, and conservation.
Architecture & design
Architectural projects for museums, galleries and cultural spaces, design reviews and new buildings.
Digital & new media
Digital art, NFTs, AI art, virtual reality, new technologies applied to art.
AI & Technology
Artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, AI research, tools and infrastructure — from Anthropic and OpenAI to academic papers.
Economy & Finance
Economy, finance, markets, luxury and geopolitics — macro signals that influence the art market and collecting.
Publications
Art books, catalogs, magazines, essays, and new sector publications.
Opinion & reviews
Editorials, critical reviews, analyses, commentaries, and viewpoints on the contemporary art world.
Other
Everything else — obituaries, interdisciplinary projects, and news that does not fit the main categories.