Category: Investment and Wealth Growth

Apple Launches iPhone 17 Series: Financial Impact and Market Reaction (2025)

Apple has finally announced its new iPhone 17 range in September 2025 with the iPhone 17 for those that are happy to stay away from any gimmicky features, the iPhone 17 Pro and the Pro Max, plus their new ultra-thin addition – the iPhone Air.

It’s a very important time for Apple when they added one-of-a-kind designs and updated technology with strategic pricing. In this article, we’ll talk about how these new models will impact Apple’s financials and investor emotions by answering what the future looks like for Apple in the highly competitive smartphone market.

Apple iPhone 17 Series Launched: Here are the Key Features and Innovations

Apple iPhone 17 series: What to expect The iPhone 17 series is set to come with major upgrades such as the A19 Pro chip for processing, a new titanium body frame for the iPhone Air models and an enhanced camera setup equipped with 48MP Fusion technology.

The iPhone Air is among Apple’s thinnest phones to date, with a slender profile and tough features like Ceramic Shield 2. Increased battery duration and iOS 26 compatibility also generate consumer interest.

Apple Revenue: What Will Be the Monetary Value of the iPhone 17 Release?

Apple leans heavily on its iPhone business, which accounts for close to two-thirds of its total revenue. Apples App A price increase of $50 to $100 on premium models such as the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the company sees a strong upgrade cycle with a large base of clients who have phones that are four years old or more.

It predicts a 3.5% increase in iPhone 17 shipments compared with those of the iPhone 16 series “and continues to drive growth through innovation and diversified products and markets.”

Market Reaction and Investor Sentiment at Release

Wall Street gave a mixed reaction to the iPhone debut. Shares fell on launch day by about 1.5%, as investors that had both seen leaked features and heard concerns over economic headwinds were tepid in their bets that the new offerings would be a hit with consumers.

Analysts anticipate a potential near-term selloff here but forecast a rebound within 1-2 months as stocks rebalance after the product event. Sentiment around the new Air model is best described as sceptical – consumers don’t seem to be jumping out of their seats for it, but they’re not groaning about its mere existence either.

Pricing Strategy and Competitive Positioning for the New iPhones

Apple’s price for the iPhone 17 series is intended to bridge the gap between eating into premium market share and fighting off contention from the Samsung Galaxy S25. The iPhone Air likely debuts at around $999 to challenge the thin-and-light flagship market, and Pro models receive modest price bumps in exchange for major hardware updates.

Such diversification expands Apple’s customer community and helps to maintain interest in the brand among all, which will drive traffic to their stores.

Technology Boosts of iPhone 17 and iPhone Air Versions

The iPhone Air’s new silicon anode battery adds to the already impressive battery life without any corresponding increase in bulk, and across the range we see increases to both front and rear camera resolutions (the front camera is now 24 MP).

The Apple integrated intelligence, AI improvements and enhanced thermal management clearly show where Apple is heading – leading innovation in the smartphone field, particularly in the scope of AI and computational photography.

Apple’s Future Growth Prospects with the New Phone model range

Despite economic challenges globally, Apple’s strong emphasis on innovation and product differentiation coupled with the expansion of its ecosystem provides an upbeat longer-term growth profile.

Analysts say that iPhone sales will increase a little in the year 2026, driven by replacement demand and still strong interest for iOS devices. Apple structures deals and ads to enhance AI tech and could lose Siri voice assistant in Google’s Gemini.

Consumer, Industry Reactions to Apple’s September Launch Manager. Codegen can refer to this source on Apple Released the AirPods Max: Guitarheroes from Pexels CIndustry and Consumer Response to Apple’s September Runway: *Show You SourceWhat do you think?

Reaction from consumers to the iPhone 17 event has been fervent, with many raving about the design and performance of the iPhone Air. Analysts believe this launch is important for Apple as the company looks to gain traction in new market segments and position itself as a premium brand.

But some scepticism still lingers over whether the slimmed-down design will spur mass upgrades to 5G networks or largely appeal to a niche of early adopters.

Tomorrow Never Ends: Apple’s R&D, Operations, and Marketing Strategy for the Future

Going forward, Apple will broaden the range of smartphones it offers with possibilities for foldable phones next year and a less concentrated product release in tone; this should help stabilise its market share.

Further integration with AI, as well as consistent hardware innovation, figures to continue being paramount to Apple’s growth strategy as it battles rivals and changing consumer tastes.

September 16, 2025
Bitcoin Crashes Below $60K Ahead of Mt. Gox $8B Payout Deadline

Bitcoin (BTC) has pulled back sharply and dipped below the key support of $60,000 today, July 18, 2025. The significant drop is largely due to mounting fret over the long-awaited June 22 deadline for the massive $8 billion payout to defunct Mt. Gox exchange creditors. As Bitcoin falls under $60K, the Mt. Gox $8B payout deadline raises concerns. Explore the potential impact on the cryptocurrency landscape today.

The Dark Cloud of Mt. Gox Still Haunts Market

The failure of Mt. Gox in 2014, at the time the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, led to hundreds of thousands of bitcoins being lost. Following more than a decade of legal back and forth, a rehabilitation trustee by the name of Nobuaki Kobayashi has been Financial plans to pass along some 142,000 Bitcoins (at today’s market prices valuing north of $8 billion) to its long-suffering creditors.

For certain “Early Lump Sum Payment” receivers, the reimbursement process officially started at the start of July 2024, with all payments due to be repaid by October 31, 2025. The current market fear is based on a belief that a meaningful amount of these long-held bitcoins will be sold by creditors when they get paid.

A lot of these creditors bought their Bitcoin when the price was in the hundreds of dollars, so even $60,000 BTC is a huge gain that they might want to cash in. According to on-chain data, large amounts of BTC have been traced to being moved from wallets belonging to Mt. Gox to specific popular cryptocurrency exchanges such as Kraken and Bitbank over the last couple of weeks, indicating that indeed distributions are in progress.

Though some of those creditors might be holding on to the BTC they receive, that’s a lot of selling pressure. The analysts at The Block and CoinShares have previously calculated that 65,000 to 75,000 BTC could come to the market from these disbursements.

Bitcoin’s Volatile Ride

Bitcoin had made an impressive rally earlier in the week, rising above $121,000 on July 14, which was powered by a strong surge in institutional inflows into Bitcoin ETFs and massive corporate acquisitions. But this enthusiasm was short-lived as the impending Mt. Gox distribution started to drown out bullish sentiment.

The latest surge in price highlights just how volatile Bitcoin is and the effect of significant supply shocks. One minute Bitcoin is up tens of thousands of dollars from last year’s price; the next, it’s crashed back down. The sudden drop this week has wiped out much of the gains from earlier in July and left investors rattled.

Broader Market Effect and What It Means Next

The current Mt. Gox fiasco is a big test of how liquid Bitcoin is and whether the market can absorb supply on the magnitude of these sales. And while the overall outlook for Bitcoin long-term is still bullish for many analysts thanks to institutional acceptance and a friendly-to-crypto regulatory landscape (given the recent U.S. crypto bill talks), the near term is all about payout mechanics.

Observers in the crypto community will be keeping a close eye on how quickly and widely creditors liquidate their recovered funds. The selling pressure level will dictate whether Bitcoin can establish support areas or it resumes its decline in the near term. Further weeks for the cryptocurrency market are therefore anticipated ahead of the October 31 deadline, as the Mt Gox saga draws towards its conclusion, bringing finality to a torturous saga.

July 18, 2025
Private equity giants KKR & Blackstone bid $90B for TikTok’s US operations

Private equity titans KKR & Co. and Blackstone Inc. are among the buyout firms said to be part of a group offering a massive $90 billion to buy the U.S. operations of viral video-sharing app TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance Ltd., in a deal that could shake up global social media, according to various media reports.

That new push for a sale is occurring as TikTok is confronting a potential ban in the United States over national security concerns.

High-Risk Gamble Under Current Geopolitical Conditions

The stratospheric valuation is further evidence of the extraordinary perceived worth of TikTok’s U.S. business, with its more than 170 million American users and over $12 billion in ad sales in 2024. The offer is being spearheaded by a group that also involves Oracle Corp.

And venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. This isn’t the first time the group has tried to buy up TikTok’s U.S. operations. One such transaction, which would have given new outside investors half of TikTok’s US business and reduced ByteDance’s holding to below 20%, reportedly fell through in April when China refused to sign off its approval (paywall), after the US had applied a previous round of tariffs.

The current acquisition negotiations are being held under intense pressure. A law signed by then-President Joe Biden in the past year required ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations by the deadline of January 19, 2025, or be forced to shut it down.

Though the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the law, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has continued to delay the deadline (most recently to mid-September), hoping to broker a deal that would “save TikTok” for Americans.

Oracle’s Role and Data Security

One of the linchpins of the proposed deal is for Oracle Corp. to have a minority stake and provide assurances on the security of user data. Oracle already supplies the cloud infrastructure for TikTok in the U.S. under previous agreements, which were adopted months ago in an effort to allay concerns that Chinese authorities could obtain access to information from the app.

The new deal would probably entrench and expand Oracle’s oversight of U.S. user data and software updates to meet American national security needs.

Challenges and Chinese Approval

EVEN as it is, any deal is heavily conditioned – conditional on the approval of various players, including the Chinese government and its president, Xi Jinping, who must now struggle with the mixed feelings of dealing with an American president who demonstrates enough unpredictability to be dangerous.

China has repeated its “principled position” on TikTok matters, saying business conduct, including mergers and acquisitions, must follow market rules and respect international laws and Chinese laws. Beijing has previously signalled resistance to a forced sale of TikTok, especially of its core algorithm, which it has called a national asset.

The $90 billion number is a hefty premium over earlier valuations, which had the value of TikTok’s United States business ranging from $20 billion to $150 billion, depending on what terms and technology were involved.

Representatives for Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, ByteDance and TikTok either did not respond to requests for comment or declined to comment, and neither KKR nor Blackstone have publicly commented on the matter, but during an interview last week, President Trump said he would be announcing the group of buyers “in about two weeks’ time”.

The weeks ahead will be crucial as the two sides try to unwind geopolitical complexities and navigate regulatory impediments to consummate a deal that could set the future of one of the world’s most influential social media platforms in the U.S. market.

July 17, 2025
Asian Stocks Dip After CPI Data While Tech Gains: Markets Wrap
TOKYO/HONG KONG: Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday as investors tried to digest the latest US inflation data and navigate shifting trade policies while technology companies pushed higher on Wall Street.

Particularly in the semiconductor sector, for pockets of optimism. Explore the latest market movements as Asian stocks dip after CPI data while tech gains: markets wrap, while tech stocks gain traction. Get the full analysis in our market.

CPI Data Takes Wind Out of Rate Cut Bets, Pharma’s Dropание

By and large, Asian shares inched down as traders adjusted the degree of interest rate cuts that the Federal Reserve would make. The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) minus volatile food and energy categories rose 0.2% from May – a modest figure, but one that provided a sign that some US companies are raising their prices to counter cost pressures due to new tariffs.

“While any tariff-induced jump to inflation is expected to be temporary, more higher tariffs being imposed means the Fed should still refrain from raising interest rates for a few months at least,” said Seema Shah at Principal Asset Management.

The cautious outlook encouraged traders to chip away at the odds of multiple Fed rate cuts this year, with the likelihood of a September cut now barely better than a coin flip, less than a 20% chance of two rate cuts this year. These revised policy bets typically bear down on riskier assets in Asia.

In a similar sector-specific drag, Asian pharma stocks fell following renewed threats by US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals by the end of the month.

(Tech Outperforms as Chip Export Expectation Lifts Seoul)

Tech stocks across Asia, in turn, bucked the broader market decline, supported by favourable developments in the semiconductor sector. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong added 0.3 per cent, largely on the back of tech companies.

One big catalyst was word that US chip behemoth NVIDIA has received assurances from the US government that it will be able to resume exporting its H20 artificial intelligence accelerator chips to China.

This radical shift from an earlier position held by the Trump administration is considered quite bullish for the AI semiconductor supply chain and general US-China relations, especially when the two sides are negotiating levels of tariff amounts, which is a very positive development.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a critical NVIDIA partner and one of the largest global manufacturers of chips, TSMC, TSMC, Copper Tubes, TYO, 2330 c1, rose as much as 1.8% in Taipei after a media report suggested the company intends to build a second chip plant in Japan to diversify its production, including for chips used in the automotive sector.

South Korean tech companies including Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK hynix (000660.KS) are also riding the wave, as Samsung Electronics ended 1.57% higher on Monday, a sign of broader optimism across the semiconductor sector.

Regional Performance Snapshot

Japan’s Topix was little changed as the Nikkei 225 edged 0.58% higher on July 15, supported by tech advances amid broader market wariness.
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.8 per cent, with the broader index weighed down by inflation worries.
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.3 per cent, boosted by its tech component. Chinese mainland markets, including the Shanghai Composite, fell slightly, down 0.1%.
- South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.73% as broader worries about the economy overwhelmed technology sector optimism for the overall index.
Meanwhile the Japanese yen was 0.2% weaker versus the dollar, close to levels not seen since April, as the market considered the possibility of divergent monetary policy stances in the US and Japan. Gold, another traditional safe haven, nudged higher.

As global financial markets grapple with the prospect of inflation, interest rate assumptions and the changing world of trade, the gap between general market sentiment and the success of AI-powered tech stocks illustrates the themes dominating investment strategy decisions in mid-2025.
July 16, 2025
Futures Rise on Nvidia Chip Plan, China GDP Beats: Markets Wrap

It’s today, July 15, 2025. Stock futures, by the way, are up early in the morning on economic growth out of China, which is coming in better than expected, and renewed optimism about strategic manoeuvres for NVIDIA in China.

Persisting concerns over the next round of US inflation figures and the ongoing, expanding repercussions of US tariff policies on global trade are taking the edge off the positive push.

NVIDIA’s China Plan Offers a Glimmer in Technology’s Gathering Gloom

Technology stocks, particularly in semiconductors, are being actively bid in pre-market as a major change to NVIDIA’s China plans is released. The AI chip giant said on Tuesday that it will resume sales to China after the US government committed to grant licences. In accordance with U.S. export law (ALUMINIUM RAM HERE WE COME), the H20 chip is a downgraded (crippled) edition specifically for the Chinese market.

On top of that, NVIDIA announced a new RTX Pro GPU model optimised for AI use in logistics and smart factories and is optimised for Chinese regulatory requirements. As does Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visiting with US and Chinese officials to promote AI cooperation, the ANT says. “This action will serve as crucial support in ensuring Nvidia’s leading position in the Chinese market,” the ANT says. The news also helps clear up some concern among investors over how export restrictions might affect NVIDIA’s earnings, with this development setting up a bright outlook not just for the company but for the broader tech industry.

China’s Q2 GDP Beats Forecasts

Bullish sentiment also was lifted by a stronger-than-expected report on China’s economy in the second quarter. Official figures for China showed the country’s gross domestic product was up 5.2 per cent from the 2024 period during the second quarter, April through June. While it surpassed analysts’ predictions of a 5.1 per cent increase, it suggested resilience despite lingering domestic challenges and international trade pressures.

Robust exports were partly to blame for the better-than-forecast showing, with Chinese firms reputedly front-loading shipments to get ahead of looming US tariff cut-off dates. The Q2 data is a welcome pick-up in global risk sentiment, particularly in emerging markets which are vulnerable to the fortunes of the Chinese economy, although analysts warn the second half of the year could see a slowdown as domestic demand weakens and the real estate sector has problems.

Shadows Linger: Tariff & US Inflation A lack thereof of Uncertainty

“The global markets are still vacillating, waiting with bated breath for the release of the US CPI report for June 2025 tomorrow, bad news from China and the good from NVIDIA notwithstanding,” Wadhwa said. As inflation figures are likely to play a crucial role in future decision-making on interest rates at the Federal Reserve, that data is causing an outsized response from investors. The dollar, bonds and stocks could all become volatile if there is a large deviation from expectations.

Adding to the uncertainty are U.S. policies of tariffs on the rise. President Donald Trump’s administration stepped up trade tensions by sending warning letters on the tariffs to more than 20 countries and free trade zones, including some of foes and closest allies.

Saxony’s Economy Minister Martin Dulig warned of “serious negative effects for the auto industry” if bilateral trade pacts could not be reached by August 1, when 20%-50% tariffs would be introduced. Analysts forecast that this will hit the US economy with a “stagflationary shock”, pushing up inflation at home and triggering havoc across global supply chains. The future of global investment and trade is also complicated by the potential for retaliatory measures.

Though tech optimism and China’s surprising economic resilience are providing some tailwinds to the trading day, investors are finding comfort from broader concerns about U.S. inflation and the fickle nature of global trade policy.

July 15, 2025
Crypto Market Surges on July 14, 2025: Bitcoin Breaks $121K, Metaplanet and Whales Make Major Acquisitions

Today, July 14, 2025, the cryptocurrency market is seeing some massive upward action, as Bitcoin (BTC) has blown past an all-time high into what appears to be entirely new territory, setting foot beyond the $120,000 threshold and significantly overshooting the $121,000 mark.

This rally is driven by an intoxicating combination of institutions buying, speculation on U.S. regulatory progress, and high-profile corporate and whale buys.

Bitcoin’s Historic Ascent

Bitcoin’s price jumped as high as $122,600 during Asian trading hours on Tuesday and reached a historic high for the world’s largest cryptocurrency. This extraordinary rally is a follow-up to an intense bullish trend that has seen BTC’s market cap at around $2.38 trillion.

The price is not the only thing that analysts are watching as a critical support; now that $120,000 has had significant price action maintaining above the level, the door to $135-140k is looking plausible in the months ahead.

The reason behind the push seems to be the extreme demand for Bitcoin ETFs. Just last week, Bitcoin ETFs had their biggest-ever single-day inflow of 2025, with a massive influx of $1.18 billion in new investments.

The arrival of institutional capital is evidence of increasing global acceptance and trust in Bitcoin as a long-term Investment Strategies . “trenders “We believe that bitcoin’s ascent is attributed to longer-term institutional holders driving it, and it’s going to $125,000 over the next month or two,” BTSE Chief Operating Officer Jeff Mei said.

Corporate Aggregation: The Pole is taken by Metaplanet

Adding to the institutional appetite, the Japanese hotel operator and investment firm Metaplanet disclosed a major new purchase of Bitcoin today. It bought the extra 797 BTC for $93.6 million at an average price of about $117,451 per Bitcoin.

The latest move takes Metaplanet’s total stash of bitcoins to 16,352 coins and solidifies its position as the fifth-largest public company holder of the cryptocurrency, behind heavyweights such as MicroStrategy. Metaplanet’s aggressive acquisition strategy saw the company’s bitcoin holdings rise from less than 4,000 BTC in March to over 15,500 BTC in July, which reflects a growing trend of corporations integrating bitcoin into their treasury policies.

This is not just confidence in the value of Bitcoin long-term but also what helps fuel the perception of scarcity as more coins are removed from the open market.

“Whale” Activity and Regulatory Optimism

Aside from corporate purchases, on-chain data shows large individual holders, or “whales”, have been accumulating. These large buy-ins continue to encourage bullishness and conviction by whales about the direction of Bitcoin’s price action in the future.

Contributing to the favourable market sentiment is the build-up to the forthcoming “Crypto Week” taking place in Washington D.C., where the U.S. House of Representatives plans to discuss a string of crypto-related bills.

The legislative efforts to provide legal clarity for digital asset companies and to provide a regulatory regime for stablecoins are broadly viewed as the first steps in the direction of increased clarity and acceptance for the crypto industry. What’s more, U.S. President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto attitude has added to the positive sentiment.

This isn’t all about Bitcoin, though. Other large cryptocurrencies, such as Ether (Ethereum), have also experienced huge price jumps, and Ether reached a five-month high of $3,048.23, helping to propel a broader surge in digital asset prices.

With the cryptosphere still moving north, investors and market observers are also watching the horizon for more institutional cues and regulatory action that could have a say in the markets’ trajectory for the rest of 2025.

July 14, 2025
New SEC regulations require stricter ESG disclosures, impacting fund classifications

ESG Investing Is Changing for Programmes Aimed at changing American businesses and business practices Nowhere is that change more apparent than in the world of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing in the United States.

Adopted on July 10, 2025, these regulations are designed to provide transparency and to give investors more consistent and emphasized information on how ESG-focused funds are classified and marketed.

The Push for Greater Transparency

For years, the rapid rise of ESG investing has been dogged by worries of “greenwashing” – where funds are marketed as environmentally or socially responsible while not actually incorporating ESG factors into their investment strategies.

The SEC’s new rules respond to these developments and aim to codify and enhance the disclosures of investment funds that allege to take ESG considerations into account.

At the heart of the new rules is a requirement for enhanced and standardized disclosure on the integration of ESG factors into a fund’s investment process, including the approach to the fund’s investment objectives, strategies and principal risks.

Funds will now have to explain how they define and measure ESG factors, which data sources they use and how they apply this understanding in investment decisions. The aim of such a measure is to enable investors to make better-informed decisions so that their investments truly reflect their sustainability preferences.

Redefining ESG Fund Classifications

One of the most important parts of the new SEC rules is the way it could change how ESG funds are categorised and viewed. The rules put in place more clearly delineatethe various types of ESG funds:

“Integration Funds” are new challenges about how they consider ESG factors vis-à-vis all other material factors in their investment process.

While “ESG-Focused Funds” (those that view ESG as a primary investment strategy) will be subject to more prescriptive guidance, including, where possible, measurable indicators about how such funds are incorporating ESG as part of investment processes. These might be specific environmental metrics (like carbon footprint), social metrics (like diversity statistics), or governance metrics (like board independence).

Impact Funds (i.e., funds that seek to achieve specific, measurable ESG outcomes alongside returns) – whose disclosure obligations should be much stronger (i.e., providing full disclosure of their impact objectives, the methods by which their impacts are measured and periodic updates on actual impact).

Analysts expect this tiered approach to prompt a rethink from many fund managers about their existing ESG claims and perhaps result in some existing funds being reclassified to fit under the stricter definitions. Funds unable to comply with the additional disclosure required for greater ESG categories could avoid making higher ESG claims or work towards deeper ESG integration.

For Investors and Fund Managers

The new rules offer a quantum leap in the clarity and comparability of ESG products, to the benefit of investors. They will be in a stronger position to tell the truly ESG-oriented funds from those that pay mere lip service to ESG. This greater visibility should help increase confidence in the market for ESG investment.

For fund managers, the new standards require a full review of your current ESG policies and procedures, marketing materials and how data is captured internally. Compliance will necessitate significant investment in resources for data management, reporting, and knowledge in ESG analysis.

Though difficult in the short run, it is in the long term likely to lead to truer and stronger ESG integration across the industry, which should help to buttress the credibility and long-term health of ESG investing. The S.E.C.’s action represents a sign of maturity for the E.S.G. market, which has been moving beyond broad claims to deliver impacts that can be measured and held to account.

July 11, 2025
FAO Investment Days 2025 Focuses on Boosting Agrifood System Investments to Create More and Better Jobs Globally

ROME, Italy – Agrifood systems are the basis of global workers, currently providing employment for about 40% of the population. The result is an estimated 1.2 billion young people who will enter the workforce in the next decade and a growing consensus of the critical need for greater and smarter investment in these systems.

That was the loud and clear cry from the 13th edition of the annual FAO Investment Days 2025, a two-day forum from 9 to 10 July on the theme “Investing for More and Better Agrifood Jobs”. The event underscored the great potential of agrifood systems to help meet the rising challenge of youth employment and to drive sustainable development globally.

Why FAO Investment Days 2025?

Organized within the frame of the FAO Investment Days 2025, the Summit was an essential platform that congregated stakeholders from different backgrounds: forward-looking minds, successful entrepreneurs, innovators engaged in production and both public and private investors from all over the world.

They had a common objective: to jointly reflect around specific trajectories and proposals for action so as to transform agrifood systems into solid drivers of inclusive growth and decent work. The forum provided a forum for rich discussion, shared experiences and exchanged best practices on how investing now can change the future for rural and urban young people.

Key Focus Areas and Themes

Deep-dive discussions during FAO Investment Days 2025 did just that, examining the complex landscape of agrifood employment in developing countries. Themes discussed included the critical role of productivity growth from technology utilization and environmentally sustainable activities; the implications of demographic change for labour supply and demand; and the dynamics of labour migration within and between borders.

Access to finance for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses, especially for youth-led projects, was a common theme, as was the changing skills requirement amid rapid technology improvements. Participants also considered supportive policies and enabling environments, such as strong legal protection and streamlined regulation, as actively promoting job creation and innovation.

An important thrust was to promote local value addition and enterprise development through agrifood value chains, which have great potential for providing decent employment, particularly for youth.

Statements from Key Figures

“The distance between the youth labour market and the constraints it faces in the job market is simply alarming,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, adding that “we need to think bigger and deeper” to reactivate the “we reach time urgent” to reach the youth labour market.

He pointed out the FAO remained committed to linking agricultural producers, rural entrepreneurs and agribusinesses with the financing and markets they need to build resilience in fragile communities and foster sustainable growth.

Relevant FAO Work and Reports

Key attention was also brought to the lasting commemoration of FAO’s commitment to investing in agrifood systems during the event. The FAO Investment Centre has a proven track record and is celebrating 60 years of successful operations.

Last year alone, the Centre supported the development of 51 public investment projects across 36 countries, worth a total of $7.3 billion, and ongoing projects worth more than $49.5 billion. One recent significant FAO report, “The State of Youth in Agrifood Systems”, offered a stark context for the talks.

The report exposed that 44% of working youths globally are working in agrifood systems. It pointed out that more than 20% of the world’s 1.3 billion young people (15-24) are currently classified as not in employment, training or education (NEET), and that young women are twice as likely to be NEET in comparison to young men.

The report’s conclusions estimate the creation of only some 400mn new jobs in all sectors over the coming ten years, a figure that pales in comparison to the swelling number of young people who will soon need a job. This wide chasm sounds the call to interventions. Most significantly, the report indicates that with smart interventions, agrifood systems alone could generate 87 million new jobs.

Potential Impact and Forward-Looking Statement

As Investment Days 2025 came to an end, the message of investment strategies and inclusive action rang true among the participants. The forum confirmed (once more) that the transformation of our agrifood systems is not only an economic must but a profound societal imperative.

In doing so, we pave the way to a future that is more food secure, more resilient, and more prosperous for all.” “Through building sustainable growth, boosting productivity and working to provide more and better jobs to the increasing population of young people, we can leave behind a more food-secure and more prosperous future for everyone.

The commitment offered today shows the world’s determination to unlock the great potential of agrifood systems to respond to very real job opportunities and make the world a place where every young person can find their place.

July 10, 2025
As Trade Worries Linger, Edmond de Rothschild AM Prefers European Over US Equities

Today, Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (AM), a UK-based company with its headquarters in Paris, revealed a major strategic shift. In its outlook for the second half of the year, AM makes no secret of moving to a stance that is clearly pro-European and shorting US stocks relative to US stocks.

The move comes amid increasing trade fears and a confusing geopolitical landscape. The firm notes that even as markets around the world continue to gyrate, Europe is becoming a more interesting investment story, relative to the US.

Why We Are Underweighting US Equities

Edmond de Rothschild AM’s sceptical view on US stocks is mainly due to the ongoing trade dispute and a murky US policy. This is how Benjamin Melman, Global CIO at Edmond de Rothschild AM, put it: “The US/China negotiations could last a long time, and those with Europe are not going to be simple.

We have for the past six months been modestly underweight equities, particularly US equities, and in the dollar.” The new US tariffs rising on imports from Japan and South Korea, which will take effect on August 1 unless there are new trade pacts, dramatically demonstrate the erratic US trade policy further.

Together with worries about the high asset valuations in the US market and policy risk in general, all that feeds into the firm’s prudential stance on US assets with a lesser exposure on their portfolios.

European Stocks: A “Powerful New Narrative” It was a mixed start to the week, with economic data out of the Eurozone delivering support to the majors.

Completely opposite to their view of the US market, Edmond de Rothschild AM is responding to an exciting ‘new narrative’ in Europe. “There is a real continent in the world, which is again in profound transformation, on the basis of new political and economic ambitions, and that continent is Africa,” said Caroline Gauthier, co-head of equities.

There are a number of reasons for this good feeling. The industrial strategy also includes the “Draghi plan” on European competitiveness, which emphasises the need to promote innovation and reform competition law and is viewed as a serious booster.

And the resurgence of German leadership along with rising defense spending across the continent will mean stronger economic prospects. This regained confidence can be seen in the strong recovery of Eurozone equities in 2025, with a spectacular +12% gain (+25% in USD terms), confirming Europe’s reassertion of its economic fate.

The firm emphasizes the attractiveness of European small caps, noting the domestic nature of this category is “partly protected from trade-related tensions and dollar volatility” and is central to Europe’s manufacturing base and industrial innovation.

Portfolio Strategy and Broader Considerations

In global equities in general, the stance of Edmond de Rothschild AM is still slightly underweight, reflecting an overall cautious perspective in a context of market volatility. The move to bring in European equities is part of its strategy to diversify and to move into alternative asset classes that can still provide some level of resiliency.

In addition to equities, the firm remains positive about short-term high-yield debt and other forms of fixed income which it deems “safe havens” on the basis of their high carry and economic cycle. Jacques-Aurélien Marcireau, co-head of equities, highlights a refocusing on themes such as resilience and health as the dominant macro investors’ trends that are driving investment in all asset classes around the world in order to build robust, innovative and adaptive portfolios. You can read more about Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management’s investment strategies and outlook on their official website. You can read more about Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management’s investment strategies and outlook on their official website.

Conclusion

The short-term outlook by Edmond de Rothschild AM highlights the fact that ongoing trade concerns and a shifting geopolitical environment are forcing investors to rethink conventional market hierarchies.

The firm’s unique conviction in European equities, with particular emphasis on small caps, reflects a confidence in Europe to offer resilience and attractive investment opportunities in an increasingly fragmented and uncertain global investment landscape.

July 9, 2025
Global Growth Slowdown Confirmed by World Bank and OECD; Trade Barriers Impact Investment Flows on July 8, 2025

In their most recent reports, which were released today, the Global Growth Slowdown Confirmed by World Bank and OECD; Trade Barriers Impact Investment Flows on July 8, 2025, concur that there has been a significant drop in global growth.

This slowing is directly tied to the deleterious spread of rising trade barriers and their knock-on impact on world investment. The news draws attention to an economic uncertainty on the horizon for companies and countries struggling to navigate a more splintered world order.

The World Bank’s grim forecast indicates a clear slowdown through 2025.

The World Bank published its latest report on the global economy, the Global Economic Prospects, and the general narrative remains a pessimistic one: The institution has just cut its outlook for global GDP growth to 2.3% in 2025, a significant reduction compared to previous expectations.

That would be the weakest rate of non-recessionary growth in about two decades. The key factors highlighted by the World Bank primarily reflect the high contribution of increased trade tensions and policy uncertainty to the slowing of global growth.

“The 0.9 per cent drop is the weakest performance since 2001, excluding global recessions,” Indermit Gill, chief economist of the World Bank Group, said at a press briefing.

The World Bank also said that world growth projections have been downgraded in nearly 70% of economies, a comment that serves to emphasize the widespread slowdown and the vulnerability of the world recovery to trade barriers.

The OECD Highlights the Growth-Stifling Effect of Trade Protectionism

Reinforcing the World Bank’s view, the OECD’s recent Economic Outlook further attests to the global deceleration in growth. Especially striking in the OECD’s examination is the pernicious effect of widening trade barriers and protectionist measures in contributing to the slowdown. The organization now projects that global expansion will decelerate from 3.3 per cent in 2024 to 2.9 per cent in both 2025 and 2026.

These actions are directly affecting business confidence, disturbing global supply chains and, importantly, redirecting or pausing committed investment. “Policy uncertainty today is holding back trade and investment, undermining consumer and business confidence and slowing the pace of global growth, according to the latest OECD Economic Outlook.

There is a need for governments to discuss any concerns with the global trading system in a positive and constructive manner – keeping markets open and retaining the economic benefits of rules-based global trade for competition, innovation, productivity, investment and wealth growth,” it adds.

Global Investment Flows Choke With Trade Tensions

Both reports underscore how the kind of uncertainty introduced by trade frictions is having a chilling effect on investment, especially foreign direct investment (FDI). It was reported that companies are delaying their expansion and startup plans and thinking again about cross-border projects because of uncertain trade policies, increasing costs and possible market access losses.

UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2025 also revealed that global FDI has fallen by 11% in 2024, the second year of consecutive decline (UNCTAD, 2023b), confirming the deepening of the slowdown in the flow of productive capital. For the full World Bank “Global Economic Prospects” report, visit the World Bank’s official publications page.

Lower investment also means slower job creation, less technological innovation and a weaker growth potential for the future ‐ all magnifying a global slump. The decline in global trade and the disintegration of the global value chains that began in the 2010s have led capital to become risk-averse – it is seeking domestic predictability over international contortions in the context of higher protectionism and geoeconomic provocations, from industrial plants to R&D centres.

Outlook and Policy Imperatives

Conditions are still difficult, with the institutions calling for quick and coordinated action. The message from the WB and the OECD is unequivocal; if the current trend of escalating trade restrictions and policy uncertainty continues, the world economy will enter a period of prolonged, anaemic expansion.

The policy implications are clear, centring on the pressing need for unwinding trade frictions and building a more stable global economic environment which will revive investment flows and address the broader global growth deceleration. Multilateral initiatives are the key to returning to a stable and rules-based world trade system. The stability of the world economy depends on international cooperation to steer these choppy economic seas. Sources

July 8, 2025