Archive

July 2025

Browsing
In Business

Elon Musk confirms Tesla has signed a $16.5 billion chip contract with Samsung Electronics

3 Mins Read

Samsung Electronics has entered into a $16.5 billion contract for supplying semiconductors to Tesla, based on a regulatory filing by the South Korean firm and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s posts on X.

The memory chipmaker, which had not named the counterparty, mentioned in its filing that the effective start date of the contract was July 26, 2025 — receipt of orders — and its end date was Dec. 31, 2033.

However, Musk later confirmed in a reply to a post on social media platform X that Tesla was the counterparty.

He also posted: “Samsung’s giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip. The strategic importance of this is hard to overstate. Samsung currently makes AI4.TSMC will make AI5, which just finished design, initially in Taiwan and then Arizona.”

“Samsung agreed to allow Tesla to assist in maximizing manufacturing efficiency. This is a critical point, as I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress,” Musk said on X, and suggested that the deal with Samsung could likely be even larger than the announced $16.5 billion.

Samsung earlier said that details of the deal, including the name of the counterparty, will not be disclosed until the end of 2033, citing a request from the second party “to protect trade secrets,” according to a Google translation of the filing in Korean on Monday.

“Since the main contents of the contract have not been disclosed due to the need to maintain business confidentiality, investors are advised to invest carefully considering the possibility of changes or termination of the contract,” the company said.

The company’s shares rose over 6% in trading on Monday to reach their highest level since September 2024.

Tesla was a probable customer, Ray Wang, research director of semiconductors, supply chain and emerging technology at The Futurum Group, told CNBC before Musk’s post. Bloomberg News had earlier reported that Samsung’s deal was with Tesla, citing a source.

Samsung’s foundry service manufactures chips based on designs provided by other companies. It is the second largest provider of foundry services globally, behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

The company stated in April that it aimed to commence 2 nanometer mass production in its foundry business and secure major orders for the next-generation technology. In semiconductor technology, smaller nanometer sizes signify more compact transistor designs, which lead to greater processing power and efficiency.

Local South Korean media outlets have also reported that American chip firm Qualcomm could place an order for chips manufactured using Samsung’s 2 nanometer technology.

Samsung, which is set to deliver earnings on Thursday, expects its second-quarter profit to more than halve. An analyst previously told CNBC that the disappointing forecast was due to weak orders for its foundry business and as the company has struggled to capture AI demand for its memory business.

The company has fallen behind competitors SK Hynix and Micron in high-bandwidth memory chips — an advanced type of memory used in AI chipsets.

SK Hynix, the leader in HBM, has become the main supplier of these chips to American AI behemoth Nvidia. While Samsung has reportedly been working to get the latest version of its HBM chips certified by Nvidia, a report from a local outlet suggests these plans have been pushed back to at least September.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Keep Reading
In Politics

Medvedev warns Trump’s new deadline to end Russia-Ukraine conflict is a ‘step towards war’

3 Mins Read

President Donald Trump’s new deadline for Russia to end the conflict with Ukraine is an additional ‘step towards war,’ according to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.  

Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, cautioned that Trump’s announcement Monday that Russia must end the conflict with Ukraine in 10 to 12 days would not end well for the U.S. 

‘Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,’ Medvedev said in a post on X on Monday. ‘Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!’

While Trump announced on July 14 that he would sign off on ‘severe tariffs’ against Russia if Moscow failed to agree to a peace deal within 50 days, Trump said Monday that waiting that period of time was futile amid stalled negotiations. 

‘I’m going to make a new deadline, of about 10 — 10 or 12 days from today,’ Trump told reporters from Scotland. ‘There’s no reason for waiting. It was 50 days. I wanted to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.’

Trump’s remarks come as his frustration with Putin has grown in recent weeks amid no progress toward peace between Russia and Ukraine, and just a day after Russia launched more than 300 drones, four cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles into Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian air force.

 

Trump called out Putin for providing lip service during their discussions while not taking proactive steps to end the war. As a result, Trump said he’s grown ‘disappointed’ in the Russian leader and that he’s ‘not so interested in talking anymore’ with Putin. 

‘He talks — we have such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversation. And then, people die the following night,’ Trump said Monday. 

Following Trump’s announcement about whittling down the deadline for a peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump for his ‘clear stance and expressed determination’ to resolve the conflict.

‘I thank President Trump for his focus on saving lives and stopping this horrible war,’ Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Monday. ‘Ukraine remains committed to peace and will work tirelessly with the U.S. to make both our countries safer, stronger, and more prosperous.’

Zelenskyy previously came under scrutiny from Vice President JD Vance in February during an Oval Office meeting for not voicing more gratitude for U.S. support for Kyiv as it battles Moscow.

Although Trump has historically boasted about having a solid relationship with Putin, he has publicly voiced increased frustration with Putin in recent weeks as the war rages on between Russia and Ukraine. 

‘We get a lot of bulls— thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,’ Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on July 8. ‘He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.’

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
In Stocks

EU-US trade deal: 15% tariff, $750B energy purchase — but pharma, steel excluded

5 Mins Read

The United States and the European Union announced on Sunday a broad framework for a new trade agreement aimed at defusing tensions between the two economic giants and preventing what could have become a damaging transatlantic trade war.

The deal imposes a uniform 15% tariff on most goods exported from the EU to the United States, including automobiles and pharmaceuticals.

Though the rate is higher than the 10% cap the European bloc had hoped for, it is significantly lower than the 30% tariffs that President Donald Trump had previously threatened.

Flanked by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Trump said the agreement would usher in a new era of “balanced, tough, and fair trade” between the two long-standing allies.

“We made it,” he said, calling the outcome “the biggest of all the deals.”

EU to purchase $750 bn worth of American energy, increase investment in the US

Central to the agreement are substantial pledges from the European Union on energy and investment.

Von der Leyen confirmed that the bloc would purchase $750 billion worth of American energy over the next three years.

Trump also announced that EU member states had agreed to increase their total investment in the US economy by over $600 billion.

This investment, officials said, would span key industries, including automotive manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and defense.

The EU has also committed to purchasing an unspecified amount of American military equipment.

“It’s a good deal, it’s a huge deal,” von der Leyen said, calling the negotiations “tough” but ultimately fruitful.

Some relief was offered on select goods.

Both sides agreed to reduce tariffs to zero on aircraft, aircraft parts, some agricultural products, semiconductor equipment, generic medicines, and certain chemicals—signaling a degree of cooperation that had been lacking in recent years.

Steel and pharmaceuticals excluded from the deal

Despite these developments, not all sectors emerged unscathed.

One conspicuous exclusion from the deal is the steep 50% tariff the Trump administration had earlier imposed globally on steel and aluminum imports.

While von der Leyen hinted that these may be addressed in follow-up negotiations, no immediate relief was offered.

Pharmaceuticals—Europe’s most significant export category to the United States—also remain outside the current agreement and will still be subject to a 15% tariff.

Von der Leyen acknowledged that the pharmaceutical issue had been “placed on a separate sheet of paper,” indicating that further negotiations are expected.

A senior U.S. official clarified that pharmaceutical and semiconductor exports from Europe would continue to face the 15% tariff rate regardless of potential global tariff policies under review by the Trump administration.

Those measures, which could be announced in the coming weeks, are part of a broader strategy to recalibrate US trade policy across critical supply chains.

Mixed reactions from Europe highlight unease

Reactions across the European continent were mixed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the accord, praising it as a means of avoiding “an unnecessary escalation in transatlantic trade relations.”

He noted, however, that deeper tariff reductions would have been preferable.

“We were able to preserve our core interests,” Merz said, while expressing disappointment over the limited scope of concessions.

Business groups were more critical. Wolfgang Niedermark of the Federation of German Industries warned that even the 15% rate would have “immense negative effects” on Germany’s export-driven manufacturing sector.

In France, concerns were more pointed.

“The agreement negotiated by the European Commission with the United States will bring temporary stability to economic actors threatened by the escalation of American tariffs, but it is unbalanced,” said French European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Industry Minister Marc Ferracci echoed the sentiment, adding that more detailed discussions—potentially stretching over weeks or even months—would be needed before a binding legal agreement could be finalized.

A temporary shield against global economic volatility

Though the announced deal appears to stave off immediate retaliation and avoids an all-out tariff war, trade experts cautioned against celebrating too early.

Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group noted that several critical areas remain ambiguous.

“If there aren’t further exemptions to be negotiated to that 15%, I think it’s a far more suboptimal deal than the member states were hoping to achieve,” he said.

The agreement does mirror recent trade pacts with other US partners.

The 15% rate is identical to what was agreed upon with Japan last week and is more favourable than the 19 to 20% tariffs recently slapped on Southeast Asian nations.

However, it remains higher than the 10% rate applied to the UK.

Carsten Brzeski, global head of macroeconomics at ING, offered cautious optimism.

“At face value, today’s agreement would clearly bring an end to the uncertainty of recent months,” he said.

“An escalation of the U.S.-EU trade tensions would have been a severe risk for the global economy. This risk seems to have been avoided.”

For now, though, leaders on both sides were keen to signal progress.

“This deal enables trade, it rebalances our relationship,” von der Leyen said. Whether it holds under pressure remains to be seen.

The post EU-US trade deal: 15% tariff, $750B energy purchase — but pharma, steel excluded appeared first on Invezz

Keep Reading
In Politics

Trump hits EU for lack of Gaza aid, says Israel needs to ‘make a decision’ with Hamas not releasing hostages

3 Mins Read

President Donald Trump blasted the European Union for not providing aid to Gaza on Sunday, adding that Israel must ‘make a decision’ about how to handle the region with Hamas still holding hostages.

Trump made the comments while meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland. He said that the U.S. has given millions in aid to Gazans, but claimed there has been no assistance from European countries.

‘We gave $60 million two weeks ago for food for Gaza, and nobody acknowledged it. Nobody talks about it. And it makes you feel a little bad when you do that. And, you know, you have other countries not giving anything. None of the European countries, by the way, gave – I mean, nobody gave but us and nobody said, gee, thank you very much. And it would be nice to have at least a thank you.’

Trump went on to note that a deal needs to be made between Israel and Hamas to end the war and return the last remaining hostages to Israel, despite many of them being dead.

‘But we have a lot of bodies, and the parents want those bodies as much as they would want their child if that child were alive,’ Trump said of the hostages and their families.

He suggested that Hamas is reluctant to make a deal for the final hostages because they feel it would be ‘the end for them’ if they lose leverage against Israel.

‘You know, they had a routine discussion the other day and all of a sudden they hardened up. They don’t want to give them back. And so Israel is going to have to make a decision,’ Trump said.

The meeting comes as the IDF highlighted its efforts to deliver aid into Gaza after restricting the flow in recent months.

Israel is now conducting airdrops for aid throughout the region, and the IDF says it conducted 28 drops in a matter of hours on Sunday.

‘Let me be clear: Israel supports aid for civilians, not for Hamas. The IDF will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,’ an IDF spokesperson said, claiming Israel transferred roughly 250 trucks full of aid into Gaza this week.

The IDF argues the reports about starvation in Gaza were a false campaign promoted by Hamas, but hunger is spreading across the region after the United Nations and the IDF previously failed to reach an agreement about aid distribution, Fox News’ Trey Yingst reported. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
In Stocks

Top 3 catalysts for the VOO ETF stock this week

3 Mins Read

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) continued its strong bullish trend last week, reaching its all-time high. VOO stock ended the week at $585, up 33% from its lowest point in April, indicating that it has entered a bull market. Here are some of the top catalysts for the VOO fund this week.

VOO ETF stock chart | Source: TradingView

VOO ETF to react to key earnings

The VOO ETF stock continued rising last week as the earnings season gained steam. About 34% of the S&P 500 Index companies have published their earnings.

80% of these companies have published a positive EPS surprise. The blended earnings growth so far stands at 6.4%. If the final figure will be 6.4%, it will be the lowest earnings growth since the first quarter of last year. 

The earnings season will accelerate this week, with most of the VOO constituent companies publishing their earnings. The most notable of them are Magnificent 7 companies like Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Apple, and Amazon. 

Other notable companies to watch include firms such as Boeing, Booking Holdings, Procter & Gamble, Visa, Starbucks, Mastercard, and ExxonMobil. 

A few of these companies will stand out. Starbucks stock will be in focus as on the turnaround efforts by the former Chipotle CEO. The company has faced major challenges as competition from firms like Luckin Coffee has surged. Its stock has dropped by almost 20% from the highest point this year. 

Boeing will also be in the spotlight as investors watch its turnaround efforts after a series of challenges. Data shows that the Boeing stock price has jumped by 81% from its lowest level this year, and is hovering at its highest point since January this year. 

PayPal stock price will also be in the spotlight as its earnings show how its business is being impacted by the ongoing stablecoin growth. Although the company has launched its stablecoin, there are indications that its market share is not increasing.

The other notable companies to watch are Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, which will publish their results and possibly announce a $200 billion merger. 

Federal Reserve interest rate decision

The other major catalyst for the VOO ETF this week will the next Federal Reserve interest rate decision on Wednesday.

Economists expect the bank to leave interest rates unchanged between 4.25% and 4.50% in this meeting. Officials will then maintain their wait-and-see approach and hint of just two cuts this year.

The Fed has come under pressure from Donald Trump, who believes that it should cut rates to 1%. He met with Jerome Powell last week at the Fed building, where he inspected the ongoing renovations. 

In line with this, the US will publish key economic numbers, including the PCE inflation report on Thursday and nonfarm payrolls data on Friday. These numbers will influence the Fed meeting in September this year. 

Trade war deadline

The other key catalyst for the VOO ETF is the upcoming August 1 deadline set by the Trump administration. Trump has threatened tariffs against most countries, which will take effect on August 1 if no deal is reached with the US. 

The US has reached a deal with Japan that will see the country invest $500 billion in the US. All Japanese goods shipped to the US will be charged a 15% tariff.

EU’s Ursula von der Leyen will meet Donald Trump to engineer an elusive deal with the US. Such a deal will boost the VOO ETF stock later this week. 

The post Top 3 catalysts for the VOO ETF stock this week appeared first on Invezz

Keep Reading
In Business

FCC greenlights Paramount’s $8 billion merger with entertainment group Skydance

4 Mins Read

Trump administration regulators have approved Skydance Media’s $8 billion bid to acquire CBS News parent company Paramount, paving the way for a tectonic shift in ownership of one of America’s three major networks.

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that it had approved the acquisition, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr adding in a news release that the move would bring change to the company’s news coverage. Paramount owns CBS, which includes CBS News.

‘Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change,’ Carr said. ‘That is why I welcome Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network. In particular, Skydance has made written commitments to ensure that the new company’s programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum.’

‘Today’s decision also marks another step forward in the FCC’s efforts to eliminate invidious forms of DEI discrimination,’ Carr added.

David Ellison; Shari Redstone.AP; Getty Images

In recent days, Paramount’s new owner made a number of concessions to the FCC, including agreeing to not implement any diversity, equity or inclusion programs. Skydance also said it would ‘undertake a comprehensive review’ of CBS and ‘will commit, for a period of at least two years, to have in place an ombudsman.’ That role would report to the president of the new company.

A number of companies that have billion-dollar transactions pending before Carr’s FCC have also backed off of DEI programs, including Verizon and T-Mobile.

The concessions also came after Paramount Global settled a lawsuit with President Donald Trump for $16 million. Trump brought that suit, saying the way CBS edited a ’60 Minutes’ interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris was ‘election and voter interference.’

The lone Democrat in FCC leadership, Commissioner Anna Gomez, did not mince words about the push to secure promises from the companies.

“After months of cowardly capitulation to this Administration, Paramount finally got what it wanted,’ she said in an emailed statement.

‘In an unprecedented move, this once-independent FCC used its vast power to pressure Paramount to broker a private legal settlement and further erode press freedom,’ she added. ‘Once again, this agency is undermining legitimate efforts to combat discrimination and expand opportunity by overstepping its authority and intervening in employment matters reserved for other government entities with proper jurisdiction on these issues.’

‘Even more alarming, it is now imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment and the law.’

Skydance is run by David Ellison, son of Oracle founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison. While the younger Ellison made a donation to President Joe Biden’s re-election fund in February 2024 shortly before the former president bowed out of the race, Trump recently signaled his comfort with his takeover of Paramount and its assets, which in addition to CBS News include Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, The CW, MTV, BET and film franchises like “Smurfs” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

“Ellison is great. He’ll do a great job with it,” Trump said in June.

There is likely to be a sea change in the editorial direction of CBS News under its new ownership. In a recent filing, Ellison and Skydance said they’d told Carr that they were committed to pursuing a focus on “American storytelling” while touting a new, “unbiased” editorial direction for CBS News. Their meeting came shortly after Paramount agreed to settle Trump’s lawsuit.

It also came just days after CBS announced it was canceling “The Late Show,” currently hosted by Stephen Colbert — an announcement Trump praised on social media. Colbert had recently criticized the parent company’s multimillion-dollar settlement with Trump, while CBS said the cancellation was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”

There had been signs of an editorial shift ahead of the merger. Most notably, longtime “60 Minutes” editor Bill Owens announced he was stepping down this spring, citing CBS News’ fading editorial independence. Shortly after, CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon was pushed out. Last week, The New York Times reported Skydance was in early talks to acquire the conservative-leaning The Free Press media outlet. Meanwhile, “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart has said he did not know whether his program would survive the merger.

Skydance has spent years pursuing Paramount and eventually realized it could successfully execute the transaction by purchasing Paramount’s parent, National Amusements, the company once helmed by Sumner Redstone, the father of the company’s current chairwoman, president and CEO, Shari Redstone. Yet the proposed deal continued to face hurdles, first under the Biden administration then at the outset of Trump’s term. Its approval came in what was its third deadline extension period.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Keep Reading
In Politics

FTC firings take spotlight in Trump’s fight to erase independence of agencies

4 Mins Read

The Supreme Court has temporarily allowed President Donald Trump to fire numerous Democrat-appointed members of independent agencies, but one case still moving through the legal system carries the greatest implications yet for a president’s authority to do that.

In Slaughter v. Trump, a Biden-appointed member of the Federal Trade Commission has vowed to fight what she calls her ‘illegal firing,’ setting up a possible scenario in which the case lands before the Supreme Court.

The case would pose the most direct question yet to the justices about where they stand on Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, the nearly century-old decision regarding a president’s power over independent regulatory agencies.

John Shu, a constitutional law expert who served in both Bush administrations, told Fox News Digital he thinks the high court is likely to side with the president if and when the case arrives there.

‘I think it’s unlikely that Humphrey’s Executor survives the Supreme Court, at least in its current form,’ Shu said, adding he anticipates the landmark decision will be overturned or ‘severely narrowed.’

What is Humphrey’s Executor?

Humphrey’s Executor centered on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s decision to fire an FTC commissioner with whom he disagreed politically. The case marked the first instance of the Supreme Court limiting a president’s removal power by ruling that Roosevelt overstepped his authority. The court found that presidents could not dismiss FTC commissioners without a reason, such as malfeasance, before their seven-year terms ended, as outlined by Congress in the FTC Act.

However, the FTC’s functions, which largely center on combating anticompetitive business practices, have expanded in the 90 years since Humphrey’s Executor.

‘The Federal Trade Commission of 1935 is a lot different than the Federal Trade Commission today,’ Shu said.

He noted that today’s FTC can open investigations, issue subpoenas, bring lawsuits, impose financial penalties and more. The FTC now has executive, quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial functions, Shu said.

SCOTUS greenlights other firings

If the Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily allow two labor board members’ firings is any indication, the high court stands ready to make the FTC less independent and more accountable to Trump.

In a 6-3 order, the Supreme Court cited the ‘considerable executive power’ that the National Labor Relations Board and Merit Systems Protection Board have, saying a president ‘may remove without cause executive officers who exercise that power on his behalf.’

The order did not mention Humphrey’s Executor, but that and other moves indicate the Supreme Court has been chipping away at the 90-year-old ruling and is open to reversing it.

The case of Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya gets closest to the heart of Humphrey’s Executor.

Where does Slaughter’s case stand?

Slaughter enjoyed a short-lived victory when a federal judge in Washington, D.C., found that Trump violated the Constitution and ruled in her favor on July 17.

She was able to return to the FTC for a few days, but the Trump administration appealed the decision and, on July 21, the appellate court paused the lower court judge’s ruling.

Judge Loren AliKhan had said in her summary judgment that Slaughter’s case was almost identical to William Humphrey’s.

‘It is not the role of this court to decide the correctness, prudence, or wisdom of the Supreme Court’s decisions—even one from ninety years ago,’ AliKhan, a Biden appointee, wrote. ‘Whatever the Humphrey’s Executor Court may have thought at the time of that decision, this court will not second-guess it now.’

The lawsuit arose from Trump firing Slaughter and Bedoya, the two Democratic-appointed members of the five-member commission. They alleged that Trump defied Humphrey’s Executor by firing them in March without cause in a letter that ‘nearly word-for-word’ mirrored the one Roosevelt sent a century ago.

Bedoya has since resigned, but Slaughter is not backing down from a legal fight in which Trump appears to have the upper hand.

‘Like dozens of other federal agencies, the Federal Trade Commission has been protected from presidential politics for nearly a century,’ Slaughter said in a statement after she was re-fired. ‘I’ll continue to fight my illegal firing and see this case through, because part of why Congress created independent agencies is to ensure transparency and accountability.’

Now a three-judge panel comprising two Obama appointees and one Trump appointee is considering a longer-term pause and asked for court filings to be submitted by July 29, meaning the judges could issue their decision soon thereafter.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
In Stocks

Palantir stock hits all time high: here’s what happened

3 Mins Read

Palantir stock hit its all-time high in trading on Friday.

Piper Sandler has initiated coverage on Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR) with an Overweight rating and a bullish price target of $170, positioning the data analytics firm as a potential long-term winner in the artificial intelligence revolution.

In a research note published Friday, analysts praised Palantir’s unique growth and margin profile, calling it a “one-of-a-kind growth+margin model” that could scale to a $24 billion run-rate by calendar year 2032 if the company maintains its trajectory.

According to the analysts, Palantir stands out as an “AI secular winner,” capitalizing on structural demand for AI across two total addressable markets (TAMs) exceeding $1 trillion each.

While the firm acknowledged that Palantir’s valuation remains elevated, it maintained that the stock could deliver transformative returns, provided the company continues its expansion and margin sustainability.

From market lows to AI all-star

Palantir’s journey has been anything but smooth. Piper Sandler noted that it has followed the company for over five years, tracking its evolution from a “coveted late-stage private” firm to its direct public listing in 2020, through a “trough of disillusionment” in 2022 when shares plummeted to $6.

That downturn has since been replaced by a dramatic resurgence.

Analysts described the comeback as a “rise of the phoenix” moment, positioning Palantir as an AI All-Star on the back of accelerating growth.

Despite the optimism, Piper Sandler emphasized the high-risk nature of investing in Palantir.

The firm warned that shares are “hyper-volatile,” with multiple historical drawdowns in the 20-29% range.

As such, it recommended a “buy on a drawdown” strategy for investors seeking exposure.

Still, the firm’s bullish outlook is underpinned by Palantir’s robust profitability, growing demand across government and commercial sectors, and strong execution in the AI space.

Contracts, partnerships, and record highs

Palantir’s stock recently reached an all-time high of $160.39.

The company boasts impressive gross profit margins of 80% and a staggering 496% 1-year return, reinforcing investor enthusiasm.

The firm has also achieved major contract wins and strategic partnerships.

Notably, the US Army awarded Palantir a $100 million contract for its Next-Generation Command and Control prototype, part of a broader $3 billion Department of Defense request for fiscal 2026.

The company also signed a two-year agreement with Knightscope Inc. through its FedStart program and partnered with Accenture Federal Services to deliver AI-driven solutions to US federal agencies.

Additionally, a collaboration with Tomorrow.io will allow Palantir to integrate weather data into its platforms, enhancing automated decision-making capabilities across multiple sectors.

Other analysts are also taking notice. Wedbush recently raised its price target to $160, citing confidence in Palantir’s expanding AI capabilities and its growing relevance in federal and commercial markets.

As Palantir continues to scale both technically and financially, the debate among investors will likely center on whether its valuation is justified by long-term growth—or vulnerable to the volatility that has defined its past.

The post Palantir stock hits all time high: here’s what happened appeared first on Invezz

Keep Reading
In World news

Editor’s Picks: Miners Rescued, US Mine Waste Strategy, Ontario Expands CIMF

5 Mins Read

Here’s a quick recap of some of the most impactful resource sector news items for the week.

The period saw three miners rescued after 60 hours underground at the Red Chris mine in BC, the US announce a mine waste recovery strategy and the Ontario government add C$7 million to boost critical minerals innovation.

Red Chris rescue: Three miners freed after 60 hours underground

Three miners trapped underground at Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) Red Chris copper-gold mine in British Columbia have been safely rescued after more than 60 hours.

The workers were sheltered in a MineARC chamber with access to food, water, and communication, following a series of rockfalls.

The rescue effort, which included drilling a 100-meter access tunnel, concluded successfully, with all miners reported in good health.

We are relieved to share that all three individuals are safe, and in good health and spirits. They had consistent access to food, water, and ventilation whilst they remained in place in a refuge chamber underground over the last two days,” a Newmont statement read. They are now being supported by medical and wellness teams. Their families have been notified.”

Investigations into the cause of the rockfalls are ongoing.

US prioritizes critical mineral recovery from mine waste

The US government is ramping up efforts to recover critical minerals from mine waste, with the Department of the Interior announcing plans to map legacy tailings across federal lands.

The initiative is part of a broader push to secure domestic supplies of essential minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earths.

By tapping into existing waste sites, the US hopes to reduce reliance on foreign imports while minimizing new environmental disruptions.

“By streamlining regulations for extracting critical minerals from mine waste, we are unleashing the full potential of America’s mineral resources to bolster national security and economic growth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Lands and Minerals Adam Suess. “This proactive approach will attract private investment, support environmental reclamation, and pave the way for mineral independence.”

The move aligns with ongoing federal investment into clean energy and supply chain resilience.

Zijin leads bid for Barrick’s Tongon mine in West Africa

Chinese mining giant Zijin Mining Group (OTC Pink:ZIJMF,HKEX:2899,SHA:601899) is reportedly leading the race to acquire Barrick Mining’s (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) Tongon gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire.

Barrick has tapped TD Securities and Australia-based Treadstone Resource Partners to advise on the sale of Tongon. The operation produced 148,000 ounces of gold in 2024.

With resources depleting, the mine is expected to enter care and maintenance by 2027.

Sources say the bid could be valued near US$500 million as Barrick shifts its focus toward copper and lithium assets.

The potential deal signals ongoing Chinese interest in African gold assets and underscores Barrick’s strategic pivot toward energy transition materials.

No final agreement has been announced.

Panther Minerals exits Boulder Creek uranium project in Alaska

Panther Minerals (CSE:PURR,OTC:GLIOF,FWB:2BC) has officially ended its option to acquire the Boulder Creek uranium project in Alaska’s Cape Nome District.

The company chose not to proceed with its next annual payment, leading to the automatic termination of the agreement signed in April 2024.

All 140 associated mining claims have been returned to Tubutulik Mining Company LLC via a quitclaim deed.

While Panther completed preliminary assessments and a site review, it opted not to advance the project further, citing seasonal, logistical, and capital constraints.

The project had drawn criticism from local Indigenous groups concerned about environmental impacts.

Ontario adds C$7 million to Critical Minerals Innovation Fund

The Ontario government is committing over C$7 million to expand its Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF), aiming to boost research, development and commercialization across the province’s mining sector.

The new funding round—open for applications from July 23 to October 1—targets innovation in deep exploration, mineral recovery, battery supply chains and mining technologies.

This latest investment brings total CMIF funding to C$27 million since its 2022 launch, supporting more than two dozen projects to date.

The CIMF also aligns with Ontario’s broader Critical Minerals Strategy, which seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign sources, especially amid growing global demand and looming US tariffs.

“With global demand for critical minerals soaring – and new US tariffs targeting Canada’s mining and manufacturing sectors – Ontario is taking action to accelerate growth and innovation in Ontario’s mining sector,’ said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines.

He added: “Through the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund, we are putting Ontario first, building a made-in-Canada supply chain that attracts investment and creates good-paying jobs here at home.”

Looking down the supply chain, the Ontario government is also investing C$500 million in the creation of a new Critical Minerals Processing Fund to “provide financial support for projects that accelerate the province’s critical mineral processing capacity and made-in-Ontario critical minerals supply chain.”

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keep Reading