Author: Journalist

TAYLOR Swift’s record-shattering “Eras Tour” is set to end on Sunday in Vancouver with the final performance of a cultural phenomenon that has easily become the highest-grossing musical tour in history. The globe-spanning event kicked off in the US state of Arizona on Mar 17, 2023.After the last show in the Canadian city on Sunday (Dec 8), the American singer/songwriter would have performed 149 shows with stops from Buenos Aires to Paris and Tokyo. Swift’s camp has not publicly released ticket revenue numbers for the tour, but the widely cited trade magazine Pollstar has estimated the figure at well over…

This week in ESG news: Texas sues BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street over ESG investing; Coca-Cola waters down sustainability goals; EU rejects move to ease rules banning deforestation-linked products; Meta looks for nuclear energy to decarbonize AI buildout; more than half of companies required to report under CSRD not “fully confident” in ability to do so, PwC finds; new low-carbon transition funds launched by BNP Paribas, EQT; Mirova launches impact-focused real assets investment platform; Morgan Stanley finds large majority of investors planning to increase sustainable investments; new sustainability data and reporting solutions from Normative, Speeki; capital raises for direct air carbon…

South Korea’s leadership crisis deepened on Sunday (Dec 8) as prosecutors named President Yoon Suk-yeol as a subject of a criminal investigation over last week’s martial law attempt, a media report said, and his former defence minister was arrested.Yoon survived an impeachment vote in the opposition-led parliament late on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law on Tuesday, but the leader of his own party said the president would effectively be excluded from his duties before eventually stepping down.That proposal, which appeared to win tacit approval from the Yoon-appointed prime minister on Sunday, drew condemnation from opposition…

The 19th edition of Indonesia’s Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) was its most successful one yet and the inaugural JAFF Market proved to be an auspicious debut. Variety was present to report on both. To put matters in context, films from Indonesia now routinely get selected and win prizes at major international festivals. The local market in Indonesia, which has the fourth-largest population in the world with 283 million, is rapidly expanding with homegrown productions accounting for a significant share. Indonesia is also bolstering its cultural policies that include an annual $13 million international co-production grant. Here are some key takeaways from the…

Of the district’s four million square metres of office space, around 15 per cent is currently vacant due to reduced demand, as many companies have shifted to remote work or adopted more flexible arrangements after the pandemic, according to Pierre-Yves Guice, the CEO of Paris La Défense, the government agency overseeing the district’s planning and development.The 15 per cent vacancy rate is higher than that of central Paris, though it is comparable to Canary Wharf in London as well as other prime business districts worldwide, Guice said. Despite the elevated vacancy rate, the rental yield in the district has remained…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Bond giant Pimco has warned the fallout from a trade war launched by Donald Trump could drive Eurozone interest rates back down towards “emergency levels” as policymakers seek to soften the blow on the bloc’s struggling economy.Andrew Balls, chief investment officer for global fixed income at the $2tn-in-assets manager, said he expected there to be “multiple rounds of the game” when it comes to tariffs, a policy repeatedly threatened by the US president-elect.“The worst version of the trade situation would be difficult”…

Stock Market News: The domestic benchmark indices, Nifty 50 and Sensex, capped off their best week since June on Friday, primarily driven by gains in the financial sector. This surge came after the central bank’s decision to reduce the cash reserve ratio (CRR) that banks are mandated to maintain, which has effectively eased monetary conditions. The move is seen as a positive signal for liquidity in the market, encouraging investor confidence and contributing to the upward momentum in stock prices.The Nifty 50 closed 0.12% lower at 24,677.8, while the Sensex fell 0.07% to 81,709.12. However, both the Nifty 50 and…

Getty ImagesNot long after buying and publicly consuming a $6.2m banana as part of an artworld stunt, Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun made another eye-catching purchase, investing $30m ($23.5m) into a cryptocurrency firm called World Liberty Financial.The company had foundered since its October launch, investors seemingly leery of its prospects and its terms.But it boasted a potentially enticing feature: the chance to do business with a firm partnering with and promoted by none other than Donald Trump.Mr Sun’s investment tipped the company over the threshold that allowed the president-elect to begin profiting from the venture. Trump and his family are…

In Jan. 2023, I wrote about my 10 top stocks to buy for the new year. I ended up pretty proud of my list because if you’d invested $1,000 in each of the 10 stocks the day the article was published, you’d have ended 2023 with $13,301, including dividends. If you’d instead put your $10,000 into an S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.25%) index fund, you would’ve had just $11,900 at the end of the year. In other words, the total return of my stock picks beat the broad market by 74%. And last December, I updated my list of top 10…

Stock Market News Today Live Updates: In an ever-evolving financial world, staying informed about stock market trends is crucial. Our Stock Market News provides real-time updates, insightful analysis, and in-depth coverage of the global financial landscape. From major index movements and corporate earnings to economic indicators and geopolitical events, we deliver the latest information impacting your investments and the broader economy. Our goal is to empower you with a clear understanding of market dynamics, investor sentiment, and potential opportunities, keeping you connected to the essential developments shaping the world of finance. Stay ahead with timely updates and expert perspectives on…