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June 17, 2025

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European stocks slide lower as Iran-Israel conflict continues to weigh on sentiment

3 Mins Read

European markets opened sharply lower on Tuesday as the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel entered its fifth day, prompting a flight to safety among investors.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 dropped 0.8%, touching its lowest level in over three weeks after gaining 0.4% on Monday.

Germany’s DAX led regional losses, falling 1.6% in early trading. France’s CAC 40 slipped 1.2%, while London’s FTSE 100 was down 0.7%.

Tensions continued to mount after US President Donald Trump urged Iranian civilians to evacuate Tehran, citing the country’s refusal of a proposed nuclear agreement.

Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early, stating the departure was unrelated to ceasefire negotiations, offering little clarity to markets.

Oil prices briefly rose on heightened geopolitical risk before paring gains.

Energy stocks were the only sector in positive territory, up 0.3%, while telecom shares led losses with a 1.4% decline.

The Iran-Israel conflict

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that he was mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, saying his early departure from the Group of Seven summit was due to “much bigger” matters.

The comment came shortly after he urged Iranian civilians to “immediately evacuate Tehran.”

The escalating conflict in the Middle East prompted a joint statement from G7 leaders, who reiterated their support for Israel and condemned Iran as the “principal source of regional instability and terror.”

The group also reaffirmed its stance that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon.

“We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel,” the G7 leaders said in the joint communique focused on the crisis.

Trump’s remarks followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s claim on Monday that the US president had offered to broker a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Tehran.

“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump was cutting short his G7 trip due to “what’s going on in the Middle East.”

Shortly after, Trump posted on his social media platform, calling on Iranian civilians to evacuate the capital and added: “Iran should have signed the deal I told them to sign.”

The G7 statement also called for a broader de-escalation in the region, including an end to hostilities in Gaza and a resolution to what it described as the “Iranian crisis.”

UK-US trade deal

The United States and the United Kingdom signed a trade agreement on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Monday, reducing tariffs on select British exports as both nations move toward a broader trade pact.

The deal, the first formal trade agreement signed by Washington since US President Donald Trump unveiled his full list of reciprocal tariffs, reaffirms preferential tariff treatment for British-made automobiles and eliminates duties on aerospace exports from the UK.

Trump, speaking alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said a specific tariff rate for British steel and aluminum would be set “at a future time.”

Currently, UK steel and aluminum exports to the US are subject to a 25% tariff, half the 50% rate applied to other countries.

“We signed it and it’s done,” Trump told reporters, calling the agreement “a great deal for both,” and emphasizing its potential to generate jobs and boost transatlantic trade.

“The UK is very well protected, you know why? Because I like them, that’s why,” Trump added.

The post European stocks slide lower as Iran-Israel conflict continues to weigh on sentiment appeared first on Invezz

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In World news

Mobile Gaming Stocks: 10 Biggest Companies in 2025

8 Mins Read

According to market intelligence firm Newzoo, global gaming revenue came in at US$177.9 billion in 2024, with mobile gaming accounting for more than half of that amount at US$97.6 billion.

The firm states that the mobile gaming market has reached maturity but still achieved higher growth than the console and PC segments, with revenue up by 2.8 percent globally last year. The regions driving that growth are North America and Europe, where markets rebounded due to big releases and diversified revenue streams.

Mobile games are typically accessed through three core operating systems: Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS, Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows and Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Android. Notably, the iOS App Store generated nearly 37 percent of its revenue from mobile gaming apps in 2024, totaling US$3.83 billion. However, figures show that most mobile games on the market today are developed for Android, representing 75 percent of total mobile game downloads.

For investors interested in getting exposure to mobile gaming as the market gains momentum, here’s a look at the top 10 mobile gaming stocks by market cap. All data and figures were accurate as of June 2, 2025.

1. Roblox (NYSE:RBLX)

Market cap: US$60.97 billion

Roblox is the company behind the well-known game platform of the same name. First launched on PC in 2006, in recent years Roblox has become the most popular free-to-play online gaming platform, particularly amongst children and teenagers.

The company draws a majority of its revenues by selling virtual currency known as Robux for in-app purchases.

According to the company’s Q1 2025 report, Roblox garnered over 97.8 million daily active users in the first quarter of 2025, up 26 percent from the same period last year. The platform’s most popular games are role-playing games Brookhaven and Blox Fruits.

2. Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO)

Market cap: US$40.15 billion

New York-headquartered Take-Two Interactive Software is a holding company that owns several significant gaming labels that develop and publish video games for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles as well as PCs and mobile devices. Some of Take-Two’s most popular game series are widely recognized around the world, including Grand Theft Auto (GTA), Red Dead Redemption and Borderlands.

The majority of Take-Two’s mobile games are published by Zynga, a developer of free-to-play games that Take-Two acquired in 2022 for US$12.7 billion. The publisher’s properties include 2009 hits FarmVille and Words with Friends.

Last year, Zynga’s highest grossing game according to Statista was Empires & Puzzles: Dragon Dawn with approximately US$147 million in revenue, and its most-downloaded title was CSR 2 Realistic Drag Racing.

While Rockstar is largely focused on console and PC games, several of its older games were ported to mobile, such as the classic GTA III, GTA San Andreas and GTA The Trilogy Definitive Edition.

3. Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA)

Market cap: US$36.6 billion

Electronic Arts (EA) is a leading gaming and esports company with video game offerings across many genres, from sports to action/adventure to role playing to family games. The California-headquartered company owns many well known series, including the Sims, Madden NFL, FIFA, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Dragon Age and Plants vs. Zombies.

EA has increased its focus on the mobile gaming segment in recent years, and in early 2024 announced it would focus on its fully owned mobile games portfolio instead of its licensed games with other brands. Leading up to that, the company merged its mobile and HD franchise teams across EA Sports FC, Madden NFL and The Sims.

In March 2025, EA announced a partnership with games marketing company Flexion, who will help EA publish its mobile games on the Amazon Appstore, Samsung Galaxy Store, Xiaomi’s GetApps and ONE Store.

4. Tencent Holdings (OTC Pink:TCEHY,HKEX:0700)

Market cap: US$25.78 billion

Tencent Holdings is a Chinese conglomerate with significant holdings through a wide array of sectors. Its large gaming segment built through acquisitions and investments has made it the world’s largest gaming company by revenue.

Tencent owns Riot Games, maker of the popular PC game League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena game with a monthly active player base of between 117 million to 135 million. The expanding League of Legends franchise also features three mobile games: Wild Rift, Team Fight Tactics and Legends of Runeterra.

The company also released PUBG Mobile based on the PC game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The multiplayer battle royale game is available on Android and iOS.

Tencent is now focusing on building up its in-house AAA and console gaming business segment in order to better compete with western gaming companies.

5. Unity Software (NYSE:U)

Market cap: US$10.91 billion

San Francisco-based Unity Software develops the core software technology or building video games and interactive experiences. It offers developers a suite of tools for designing and launching 2D and 3D games as well as virtual and augmented reality applications. This includes the ability to create and host large-scale, multi-player games.

Two of the most popular mobile games built on the Unity Software engine are the online multiplayer social deduction game Among Us, developed by game studio Innersloth, and augmented-reality mobile game Pokémon Go, developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo Co. (LSE:0K85,TSE:7974) and The Pokémon Company.

Although in its Q1 2025 financials, Unity saw its grow revenue and create revenue drop by 4 percent and 8 percent, respectively, year-over-year, its financial performance still included exceeding the high-end of its revenue guidance by 5 percent, and its adjusted EBITDA by 29 percent.

6. Playtika (NASDAQ:PLTK)

Market cap: US$1.79 billion

Headquartered in Israel, Playtika Holdings claims to be among the first mobile gaming entertainment companies to offer free-to-play social games on social networks and on mobile platforms. Today, Playtika has a diverse portfolio of game titles accessed by more than 29 million monthly active users last year.

Playtika has built its mobile entertainment platform through eleven strategic acquisitions totaling US$337 million aimed at increasing its breadth of entertainment genres and leveraging its Boost platform to enhance game operations. Playtika’s most recent acquisition was mobile gaming company SuperPlay, which it picked up for US$700 million in late 2024.

In its first quarter of 2025, the company reported a record quarterly revenue of more than US$700 million. This is up 8.4 percent over the same period in the previous year.

7. Corsair Gaming (NASDAQ:CRSR)

Market cap: US$951.33 million

Corsair Gaming is a global powerhouse in the development and manufacturer of high-performance gamer gear, including keyboards, mice, game controllers and headsets.

While the company primarily targets PC gamers, Corsair has moved into the mobile games market in recent years with the launch of its SCUF Nomad, a compact Bluetooth controller designed for competitive gamers with iPhones. The controller expands to fit the user’s phone in the center and work with any games that offer controller support.

8. Inspired Entertainment (NASDAQ:INSE)

Market cap: US$208.84 million

Inspired Entertainment is a gaming technology company that offers content, tech, hardware and services both offline and online gaming, betting and social gaming platforms. This includes digital games across more than 170 websites.

Last year, the company launched a number of online and mobile slot games, including Gold Cash Free Spins and Big Piggy Bank. In January 2025, Inspired announced the release of its online and mobile slot games into the regulated Brazilian market.

9. PLAYSTUDIOS (NASDAQ:MYPS)

Market cap: US$186.86 million

PLAYSTUDIOS develops free-to-play mobile games for its brand partners in the travel, leisure and entertainment sectors. Through its playAWARDS platform, mobile gamers can earn brand offerings as in-game rewards. The platform has a player network of more than 4.2 million gamers and 737 award partners, including brands such as Royal Caribbean International, MGM Grand and Cirque de Soleil.

The company will be offering its social casino games players an opportunity to win trips to the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas, and seats in the second annual US$1 million myVIP World Tournament of Slots, which will take place at the resort in October 2025.

PLAYSTUDIOS’ full year 2025 guidance for net revenue is US$250 million to US$270 million.

10. MotorSport Games (NASDAQ:MSGM)

Market cap: US$16.24 million

Florida-based Motorsport Games develops and publishes motorsport games, and organizes esports racing competitions and content.

It is officially licensed to develop and publish video games for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Motorsport Games’ rFactor 2 is an official racing simulation platform of Formula E, and it powers the F1 Arcade venue chain via a partnership with Kindred Concepts.

In April 2025, Motorsport announced a strategic investment of US$2.5 million led by virtual reality hardware company Pimax Innovation. The two companies plan to combine their offerings to create immersive VR racing sims.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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In Business

Trump made millions on guitars, Bibles and watches with his name on them, disclosure reveals

2 Mins Read

President Donald Trump continues to enjoy income streams from scores of luxury properties and business ventures, many of which are worth tens of millions of dollars, according to a financial disclosure form filed late Friday.

Released by the Office of Government Ethics, Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure spans 234 pages in all, including 145 pages of stock and bond investments. It is dated Friday with Trump’s signature.

One of the largest sources of income is the $57,355,532 he received from his ownership stake in World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency platform launched last year. The form shows that World Liberty’s sales of digital tokens have been highly lucrative for Trump and his family. Trump’s three sons, Donald Jr., Eric and Barron, are listed on the company’s website as co-founders of the firm.

Separately, Trump’s meme coin, known on crypto markets simply as $TRUMP, was not released until January and is therefore not subject to the disclosure requirements for this form, which covered calendar year 2024.

It was a lucrative year for Trump when it came to royalty payments for the various goods that are sold featuring his name and likeness.

Among the royalty payments:

The filing also includes a listing of liabilities, including at least $15,000 on an American Express credit card and payments due to E. Jean Carroll, the woman who successfully sued Trump over sexual abuse and defamation, though he is still seeking to appeal the decision.

The rest of the document includes dozens of pages of lengthy footnotes about his various assets.

The form was filed to comply with federal requirements for executive branch office holders. By comparison, the form former President Joe Biden filed in 2024 was 11 pages and consisted largely of conventional sources of income like bank and retirement accounts, while Kamala Harris’ was 15 pages.

Many of Trump’s key assets are held in a revocable trust overseen by Donald Trump Jr., his eldest son. They include more than 100,000 shares of Trump Media and Technology Group, the social media company that went public in 2024. Trump is the largest shareholder, and his nearly 53% is worth billions of dollars. Those holdings were still disclosed in the form.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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In Politics

Mike Johnson calls off Israel trip amid Iran conflict

2 Mins Read

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is calling off his planned trip to Jerusalem this coming weekend in light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

‘Due to the complex situation currently unfolding in Iran and Israel, Speaker Ohana and I have made the decision to postpone the special session of the Knesset,’ Johnson said in a statement.

‘We look forward to rescheduling the address in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East.’

Johnson had planned to address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, this coming Sunday.

It’s a sign of the worsening situation in the Middle East after Israel, which said Iran was dangerously close to a nuclear weapon, launched preemptive strikes in Tehran that hit nuclear enrichment sites and killed top military officials.

Johnson, like most Republicans, backed Israel’s moves.

‘Israel and the United States have been united, including in our shared insistence that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon. President Trump and his administration have worked tirelessly to ensure that outcome,’ the speaker said in a statement on Friday.

‘Unfortunately, Iran has refused to agree and even declared yesterday its intent to build a new enrichment facility. Israel decided it needed to take action to defend itself. They were clearly within their right to do so.’

Israel’s military said Monday that it has established ‘aerial superiority’ over Iran’s forces as the conflict continues into another day.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday that Israel and Iran ‘should make a deal, and will make a deal.’ 

‘[W]e will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place,’ Trump wrote.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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