Government Policy & Housing Market - UK government is considering reforming stamp duty on housing transactions [1] - Stamp duty is described as a "woeful tax", indicating potential negative impacts on the housing market [1] - Execution risk of the reform is high, creating uncertainty in the market [1]

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers is hosting a gathering of politicians, experts, business and union leaders at Parliament over the next three days in an effort to address Australia's declining productivity. Paul Allen joins us now with more on this. And Paul, weak productivity, a long running issue for Australia, how do they plan to turn things around.The plan at this stage, Sherry, is to talk about it, to say there's a three day gathering at Parliament House starting today. There's going to be 45 experts ...

Core Viewpoint - The overall requirement for tax reform in the "Hainan Free Trade Port Construction Overall Plan" is to implement zero tariffs, low tax rates, and simplified tax arrangements in a phased manner, ultimately forming a tax system with international competitiveness to support the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port [1] Tax Policy Measures - The Ministry of Finance has introduced several tax policies following the release of the overall plan, including duty-free shopping for outlying islands, zero tariffs on certain imported goods, and preferential corporate and personal income tax policies [1] - The current preferential policies for corporate income tax and personal income tax will continue to attract high-end talent and quality enterprises to settle in Hainan [1] - The range of "zero tariff" goods will be continuously expanded, with timely adjustments to the imported tax goods catalog [2] - The duty-free shopping policy for outlying islands will continue, with further optimization of policy arrangements to support Hainan in becoming an international tourism consumption center [3] - Research on tax policies for imported goods consumed by residents on the island will be actively conducted, allowing residents to purchase certain imported products tax-free [4] - The research on sales tax reform will be steadily advanced, involving the consolidation of multiple taxes such as value-added tax, consumption tax, vehicle purchase tax, urban maintenance and construction tax, and education fees, with a focus on simplifying the tax system [5]

🚨 CMC News: Japan's Approval Culture Blocks Crypto Innovation Despite Tax Reform.🔗 https://t.co/bsCGhdVzvA https://t.co/JT53M8SrHr ...

Now that President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is law, the fight has begun over who wins and who loses from its tax-and-spending changes https://t.co/1GjcXErt6V ...

Now that President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is law, the fight has begun over who wins and who loses from its tax-and-spending changes https://t.co/z3iAwdJJDv ...

House Republicans are starting work on a follow-up to their recently enacted tax-and-spending law, aiming to pass provisions that were removed from Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill" https://t.co/MB2RCdBe2N ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the current state of the gold and silver markets, highlighting trends and price movements in these precious metals. Group 1: Gold Market - The article notes that fine gold is currently priced at 999.9, indicating high purity levels in the market [1]. - There is a mention of the historical context of gold prices, suggesting a long-standing value associated with gold as a commodity [2]. Group 2: Silver Market - Similar to gold, fine silver is also highlighted with a purity level of 999.9, reflecting its quality in the market [1]. - The article implies that the silver market is experiencing trends that may align with those observed in the gold market, although specific price movements are not detailed [2].

Core Insights - Verizon Communications reported record quarterly adjusted EBITDA of $12.8 billion, a 4.1% increase year-over-year, and wireless service revenue of $20.9 billion, up 2.2% year-over-year [1] - The company raised its full-year 2025 guidance for adjusted EBITDA growth to 2.5%-3.5%, adjusted EPS growth to 1%-3%, and free cash flow guidance to $19.5 billion-$20.5 billion, citing operational outperformance and tax reform benefits [1][9] Financial Performance - Year-to-date free cash flow reached $8.8 billion, a 3.6% increase compared to the prior year, while operating cash flow climbed to $16.8 billion [2] - The recently approved federal tax reform is expected to contribute an additional $1.5 billion to $2 billion in free cash flow for 2025, enhancing capital allocation flexibility [2][3] Infrastructure Development - Verizon surpassed 5 million fixed wireless access (FWA) subscribers, adding 278,000 net subscribers in the quarter, and is on track to reach 8 million to 9 million FWA subscribers by 2028 [4][5] - The C-band spectrum deployment is ahead of schedule, expected to cover 80%-90% of planned sites by year-end, while fiber build is also exceeding plans with a target of 650,000 new passings this year [4][9] Customer Strategy - Despite a consumer postpaid phone churn rate of 0.9%, Verizon reduced net losses to 51,000 from 109,000 in the prior year, and improved core prepaid net additions by 62,000 year-over-year [6] - The company expects prepaid to positively contribute to wireless service revenue growth for the remainder of 2025, reflecting effective brand segmentation and execution [7]

Financial Performance - The company reported strong financial performance with wireless service revenue of $20.9 billion, up 2.2% year over year [5][25] - Adjusted EBITDA reached $12.8 billion, marking a 4.1% increase year over year, setting a record for the best reported quarter [5][27] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $5.2 billion, bringing year-to-date free cash flow to $8.8 billion, an increase of over $300 million compared to the first half of 2024 [5][29] Business Line Performance - The company achieved over 300,000 net additions across Mobility and Broadband platforms in the second quarter [8] - Fixed wireless access subscribers surpassed 5.1 million, with a goal of reaching 8 to 9 million by 2028 [11][23] - Fios Internet net additions were 32,000, compared to 28,000 in the prior year period, indicating robust growth in broadband [23] Market Performance - The wireless market remains competitive, with elevated postpaid phone churn due to pricing actions and competitive pressures [10][18] - The company is focused on improving retention through enhanced value propositions and AI-powered customer experience innovations [10][19] - The company expects mid-single-digit growth in upgrade activity for the full year [22] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company is committed to disciplined execution and customer-centric innovation, focusing on profitable connections and customer relationship value [4][34] - The strategic segmented market approach is resonating with customers, driving significant sales momentum [6][35] - The company is raising its full-year guidance for adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, reflecting strong operational performance and tax reform benefits [7][32] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the business's future, highlighting strong performance in the first half of the year and the effectiveness of their strategy [4][34] - The company anticipates continued service revenue growth, supported by healthy underlying customer economics [26][27] - Management noted that the regulatory approval process for the Frontier acquisition is progressing as planned, which will further accelerate fiber expansion [14][24] Other Important Information - The company is actively pursuing cost efficiency programs, including copper decommissioning and managed services initiatives [28][30] - The balance sheet remains strong, with a focus on reducing debt ahead of the Frontier transaction [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Inquiry about free cash flow and capital allocation - Management indicated that capital allocation priorities remain unchanged, focusing on business investments, dividends, debt reduction, and potential buybacks [41][42] Question: Discussion on consumer wireless outlook - Management confirmed the ambition for consumer net add improvement in 2025, while maintaining financial discipline [46][47] Question: Clarification on postpaid ARPA growth deceleration - Management acknowledged the deceleration but highlighted ongoing growth drivers and the potential for future improvements [56][58] Question: Update on broadband market trends - Management noted a consistent performance in Fios and strong demand for fixed wireless access, with expectations for better performance in the second half of the year [75][76]