As per calculations by Reuters, in 2024, China saw the highest number of mergers and acquisitions among regional banks since the 2000s. It has been reported that a total of 290 mergers and acquisitions took place in this sector. In addition to the group of major national banks, small regional banks—of which roughly 3,700 exist in the nation—significantly contribute to the economy by providing...

US President Donald Trump's plan to manage the Gaza Strip has diminished expectations of reestablishing trade in the Red Sea, where commercial vessels have faced assaults from the Houthis during Israel's conflict with Hamas, writes The Financial Times (FT) citing shipping companies. The publication notes that following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Houthis announced in January that...

Bloomberg reports referring to analysts at Citigroup that gold prices are expected to hit an all-time high of $3000 per ounce in the next three months. The need for safe-haven assets is growing In the context of escalating geopolitical tensions and trade conflicts, they indicate. The agency reports that Donald Trump has "stunned markets" with the potential implementation of tariffs, which could...

China's Ministry of Commerce has voiced its displeasure over the US's choice to implement a 25% tariff on Chinese products. Beijing plans to submit a lawsuit to the World Trade Organization (WTO). “The Ministry of Commerce stated (as reported by AFP) that China is very unhappy and firmly opposes the tariffs.” US President Donald Trump previously signed an order imposing tariffs on products from...

The eurozone nations' economy encountered stagnation in the fourth quarter, according to the initial evaluation released by Eurostat. Consequently, GDP, adjusted for seasonal variations, stayed the same as in the prior quarter. Experts anticipated a rise in this metric by 0.1%, according to the Financial Times. Overall, the report from the EU statistical service indicates that the eurozone...

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) maintains its key interest rate at 4.25-4.5% annually following three reductions. The regulator's choice was clarified by the "somewhat heightened" rate of inflation in the US, along with a labor market that was stronger than anticipated. Maintaining the rate can also be viewed as a reaction to President Donald Trump, who has expressed his goal of achieving a swift...

US President Donald Trump revealed intentions to restart oil and gas extraction in the protected lands of Alaska. He believes that the reserves from these fields can satisfy the needs of the whole Asian market. The president stated that an executive order will soon be issued for the resumption measure. “I believe I'm going to accomplish it through an executive order ... I believe we will complete...

According to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Bitcoin might theoretically reach $700,000 if worldwide investment funds allocated 2 to 5% of their portfolios to the cryptocurrency. “This week, I had discussions with representatives from sovereign wealth funds about whether we should dedicate 2% of the portfolio to bitcoin investments. Or 5%? If all parties consented to that, the price of Bitcoin would...

Beijing will extend equal treatment to foreign financial institutions as it does to domestic ones when introducing new categories of financial services not currently accessible in the country, as reported by Reuters referencing the People's Bank of China. International banks will have the opportunity to provide new varieties of financial services in certain free trade zones. China has also...