Market Trends - Metal traders are observing all-time highs in gold, silver, and copper due to positive momentum [1] - The metal market has experienced an amazing year overall [2] - Geopolitical tensions are continuously stirring, impacting the gold market into the next year [2] Precious Metals Analysis - Gold has increased by more than 66.67% this year, benefiting from the prospect of lower US interest rates next year, debasement trade, weaker US dollar [2] - Many analysts have selected gold as their favorite metal and commodity for the upcoming year [3] - Goldman Sachs projects gold could reach $4900 next year, potentially even higher with increased private investor involvement [3] - Other precious metals are also experiencing significant gains [3] - It's difficult to find bearish sentiment in the precious metals space for the coming year [5] - Uncertain geopolitical times tend to favor gold's performance [6] Market Dynamics and Risks - Relatively small markets and illiquid times of year can lead to sharp moves in benchmarks between silver, platinum, and palladium [4] - There isn't a significant amount of private investor money currently in gold, suggesting potential for further price increases if more capital enters the market [6]

>> THIS IS HORIZONS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA. TOP STORIES THIS MORNING. ASIAN STOCKS RISE AS TRADERS GEAR UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH HIGH HOPES FOR A YEAR AND A SANTA RALLY.THE U.S. PURSUES A THIRD VENEZUELAN TANKER AS PRESIDENT TRUMP INTENSIFIES THE OIL BLOCKADE. AND AXIOS REPORTS THAT ISRAEL'S WARNING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER IRAN'S MISSILE EXERCISE SAYING IT COULD BE PREPARING FOR A STRIKE ON ISRAEL. WE ARE LIVE IN JERUSALEM WITH THE DETAILS.9:00 A. M. ACROSS THE EMIRATES AND 5:00 A.M. HERE IN LONDON. I'M ...

Let's talk about what's happening in Japan today. What message should global bond markets take away from the job picture. Yeah, I mean, I think the path of least resistance is for yields to keep climbing higher.I mean, I know the currency has been sending mixed signals. It's kind of been detached from what we're seeing in long term yields. But if you look globally at the moment, everything is just creeping higher.So GDP yields creeping higher because rate hikes in France, yields are climbing higher because ...

We know that these conversations and many of these negotiations have sort of moved underground in terms of what their actual content is since we saw that 28 point plan initially. Do we have an idea of what was discussed this weekend excuse me, and how much progress was made. Yes, Oliver.Well, what we've heard from the U.S. side, at least, is that they did discuss that point plan. Of course, you know, that's something that obviously the initial plan put forward by Witkoff was met with quite a bit of resistan ...

Geopolitical Impact on Oil Market - The Trump administration's blockade of sanctioned oil tankers is increasing pressure on Venezuela's government [1] - The administration is now targeting unsanctioned vessels to maximize pressure on companies exporting Venezuelan crude [2][3] - Chevron has a waiver allowing some exports, mitigating the full impact of the blockade [3] Oil Price and Supply/Demand Dynamics - Venezuela's oil production is less than 1% of global demand [4] - A complete halt of Venezuelan exports could cause a temporary price increase due to market sentiment [4] - The global oil market faces a large oversupply going into 2026 [5] - Demand growth is not keeping pace with increasing supply from OPEC+, the US, and other countries [5][6] - Despite potential short-term price spikes, analysts predict a downward trend due to the oversupply [6]

Technology Evolution & Trends - The tech industry has evolved from wired to wireless, exemplified by innovations like the Mac, iPod, and iPhone, enabling constant connectivity [2] - Streaming services gained prominence in 2007 with Netflix, offering both DVD rentals and online streaming [2] - Social media evolved significantly, with Facebook emerging as a key platform and later pivoting to Meta in 2021 [3] - AI is considered the most important and dramatic technology innovation, with potential societal impacts that are difficult to predict within the next decade [25][26] AI & Quantum Computing - By 2029, IBM anticipates that corporations will have access to useful quantum computers capable of solving real-world problems [5] - AI is being used to build companies without people, such as an AI bank, and is showing promise in areas like drug discovery [11] - Quantum computers are not general-purpose but can be used in conjunction with general-purpose systems to solve complex problems [13][14] Telecom Industry Dynamics - The bursting of the telecom bubble in the late 1990s had significant consequences, including job losses and a potential recession, leading to aggressive interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve [16] - Overbuilding of telecom capacity during the dot-com era led to a massive excess capacity, which ultimately benefited the tech economy by lowering connectivity costs [17][20] - The industry is potentially experiencing another fiber optic bubble with Fiber to the Home (FTTH) overbuilding by major companies and private equity firms [24] - The excess capacity created during the telecom bubble enabled the rise of companies like Netflix, which capitalized on essentially free transport to build a dominant entertainment business [22]

Market Events & Financial Crisis - The market peaked in early 2000 and dropped approximately 30% within months [1] - Major financial institutions faced collapse, triggered by housing market sell-offs that spread to unrelated sectors [3] - The Fed implemented quantitative easing (QE) three times, restarting after less than a decade due to the COVID-19 pandemic [4] - COVID-19 pandemic caused market plunges of 20% to 30% in about 5 and a half weeks [5] - Headline inflation rates peaked at 9%, the highest in the modern era [6] Market Dynamics & Investment Trends - Individual investors drive the majority of activity in U S public equity markets by 2025, impacting prices and valuations [7] - Discussions of bubbles are resurfacing, with concerns about an AI bubble similar to the tech bubble of 2000 [8] - The US spent approximately $8 trillion on wars on terrorism, leading to budget deficits [9] - Since 2020, large budget deficits and wealth gaps have been monetized, leading to leveraging up of assets in private equity and venture capital markets [15][14] - Geopolitical conflicts necessitate a shift from consumer-based to directed economies, emphasizing infrastructure and energy development [18] Global Economic Factors - Developed countries, including Europe, the United States, and China, face declining populations, while the Global South experiences growing populations and migration linked to climate change [22] - A successful country requires education, productivity, financial resources, and avoidance of internal and international conflicts [26]

Financial Performance & Strategy - Flutterwave shifted its focus towards sustainability, improved economics, and better capital allocation in recent months [1][2] - The company aims for overall group profitability potentially by 2026 [3][4] - Flutterwave is prioritizing revenue growth, margin expansion, and achieving profitability to become sustainable and less dependent on funding cycles [23] - The company is operating with public market discipline, focusing on profitability and sustainability [25][26] Growth & Expansion - Enterprise business in the Asia corridor has seen approximately 50% growth across the board, with a 100% margin balance in the period [2] - Enterprise business grew over 1,000% in the Asia corridor in the last year due to simplified payment solutions for African SMBs and corporates importing from Asia [8][9] - Flutterwave is building infrastructure to enable enterprises, SMBs, and consumers, including stablecoin deployments [5] - The company is expanding its remittance products to cover every corridor in Africa, aiming to be the easiest way to move money [8] - Flutterwave plans to expand into the UAE and Hong Kong through partnerships, targeting major trade routes for Africa [15] Technology & Innovation - Flutterwave is building the "biggest stablecoin deployment ever" in Africa, providing stablecoin wallets for businesses and consumers [5] - Stablecoin infrastructure connects the Fiat world to the Stablecoin world, enabling real-time payments for suppliers and faster remittances [7] - The company launched a Naira card for travelers to Nigeria in 7-8 weeks, demonstrating its innovation and responsiveness to customer demand [27][28] Market Position & Future Outlook - Flutterwave is the "biggest fintech in Africa" and the "most licensed non-bank entity" [13] - The company views itself as infrastructure, enabling the growth of commerce and logistics in Africa [19] - Flutterwave believes Africa's future is infrastructure-led and anticipates more unicorns and global companies growing from Africa in the next decade [13][20] - An IPO is considered a milestone, not a destination, and will only be pursued when the company is ready and there is a clear need for capital [24]

Okay. What is a bubble. A bubble occurs when there's an enormous amount of increase in wealth relative to money.It's it's important to understand the difference between wealth and money. Wealth is easy to create. Like now um and in other times, what you do is that let's say you raise uh $50 million for a billion dollar company.then you're a billionaire and the um company's worth a billion dollars, but nobody's really paid anything like that. And so wealth is something that uh rises, but you haven't material ...

As we continue our review of the first quarter of the 21st century, we turn to one country that has been a story, well, really many stories in and of itself. Our colleague Enda Curran takes us through China's remarkable transformation. [Applause] -China joining the WTO in 2001 was probably one of the most consequential decisions, not just for China's economy, but for the world economy.-The WTO agreement will move China in the right direction. -So companies could shift there and both tap into the Chinese mar ...