Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 3074
U.S. Stocks Open Mildly Higher; Spotify Rockets 11% After Q4 Beat as Coca‑Cola Lags
U.S. markets opened modestly higher with the Nasdaq nearly flat and the Dow up about 0.26%. Spotify jumped 11% after beating fourth‑quarter expectations, while Coca‑Cola fell following a revenue shortfall, illustrating continued earnings‑driven divergence within markets.
CATL Raises RMB5 Billion in Low‑Cost Green Bonds to Fuel Battery R&D Push
CATL has issued RMB5 billion of green technology innovation bonds at a 1.7% coupon, with proceeds received in early February 2026. The low‑cost, 3+2 year funding reflects strong investor demand for green paper and will support the company's R&D and capacity expansion in next‑generation battery technologies.
Paramount Turns Up the Heat on WBD Deal — Offers Quarterly ‘Timing Fee’ and to Cover Netflix Break Fee
Paramount kept its $30-per-share bid for Warner Bros. Discovery but sweetened the offer with a 25-cent per‑share quarterly ‘‘timing fee’’ beginning in 2027 and pledged to cover Warner’s $2.8 billion break fee if the studio abandons its larger Netflix deal. The enhancements aim to position Paramount as a lower‑risk, fully financed buyer at a time when regulators are scrutinising Netflix’s $82.7 billion content-and-streaming proposal.
BYD Sues the U.S. Government, Challenging Trump-Era Tariffs and Seeking Rebates
BYD has sued the U.S. government, arguing that multiple tariffs put in place under the Trump administration are unlawful and seeking refunds for duties it paid. The case highlights the tensions between U.S. protectionist trade tools and the legal, commercial and geopolitical pushback from major Chinese exporters.
Alphabet Sells Rare 100‑Year Sterling Bond as Tech Giants Tap Debt Markets for AI Spending
Alphabet issued a rare £1 billion, 100‑year sterling bond that was nearly ten times oversubscribed as part of a broader, multi‑currency debt programme that included a $20 billion dollar deal. The financing push supports massive AI and cloud capital spending and forms part of a larger wave of tech corporate borrowing that may push 2026 issuance to record levels.
Paramount Turns Up the Heat on Warner Bros. Discovery with Quarterly 'Timing' Payments and a Netflix Breakup- Fee Offer
Paramount has amended its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery by adding a quarterly "timing fee" and offering to pay the $2.8 billion breakup fee if WBD’s deal with Netflix collapses, while keeping its $30 per‑share headline bid intact. The package is intended to provide cash certainty and a clearer regulatory route, but analysts caution it may not be enough to convince shareholders to abandon the larger Netflix proposal.
China’s 9.9-yuan Coffee Era Fades as Price War Gives Way to Profit Reality
The widespread 9.9-yuan coffee price point that anchored China’s retail coffee boom is receding as chains confront thin margins, rising input costs and franchisee stress. Kudi’s decision to end blanket 9.9 promotions and lift most prices signals a shift from volume-fuelled expansion to differentiated, sustainability-focused strategies across the sector.
Former A‑Share Solar Champion Faces Delisting Risk as Creditors Push for Pre‑restructuring
Yijing Photovoltaic, a once‑prominent A‑share solar module maker, has been hit by creditor applications for pre‑restructuring, prompting an immediate delisting warning under exchange rules. The company is burdened by heavy losses, mounting litigation and a local government effort to reclaim 140 million yuan tied to a stalled project, raising real prospects of restructuring or bankruptcy.
SMIC Posts Revenue and Net-Profit Gains in Q4 Despite Sharp Fall in Pre‑Tax Profit
SMIC reported Q4 2025 revenue of RMB 17.813 billion (up 11.9% YoY) and net profit of RMB 1.223 billion (up 23.2% YoY), while profit before tax plunged 41.5% to RMB 1.602 billion. The mixed results underscore resilient domestic demand for foundry services but raise questions about the role of non‑operating items and the sustainability of earnings amid export controls and industry headwinds.
China’s Market Pulse: From tighter gig-economy rules to ByteDance’s Seedream 5.0 and local stimulus for homebuyers
Chinese authorities moved to strengthen protections for gig workers and to regulate opaque consumer products, while local governments and firms deployed incentives and product launches to sustain demand. ByteDance rolled out Seedream 5.0 in a bid to deepen its AI creative stack as markets reacted with sectoral rotation and holiday cost pressures surfaced in retail logistics.
China’s Exchanges Loosen Re‑financing Rules to Back Tech R&D — with New Guardrails
China’s three main stock exchanges have eased refinancing rules to help R&D‑intensive and unprofitable science‑and‑technology firms raise capital more quickly, extended a ‘light‑asset, high‑R&D’ standard to main boards, and streamlined procedures while tightening oversight to prevent misuse. The package is calibrated to sustain long‑term innovation funding while guarding against speculative or control‑seeking abuses.
Xiaomi’s Lei Jun Boasts a Robot-Run Car Factory and Rooftop Solar — A Sign of Tech Firms Industrializing Hardware
Lei Jun says Xiaomi’s car plant uses roughly 600–700 robots to achieve fully automated assembly and inspection, and runs on photovoltaic panels installed across its roof. The statements mark Xiaomi’s push to vertically integrate high-tech manufacturing and position itself as a serious contender in the electric vehicle sector, though practical limits and risks remain.