Blog #Business Trends

Pan African Resources Plc has emerged as South Africa's best-performing miner this year, challenging the nation's reputation for expensive and declining gold production.

US stocks ended Friday with losses, capping a sluggish week despite a year of historic highs, as the Dow fell 333 points (0.78%), the S&P 500 dropped 1.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.5%.

AT&T and Verizon have confirmed being targeted by the China-linked Salt Typhoon hacking operation, which aimed to extract intelligence on foreign political and intelligence figures.

Iron ore prices dropped below $100 a ton, hitting their lowest level in over five weeks, amid concerns about China's economic weakness.

Netflix's first major foray into live sports broadcasting with two NFL games on Christmas Day showcases its ambition to expand into live events.

Both U.S. coasts are facing severe weather ahead of Christmas, with snow on the East Coast and storms on the West Coast, potentially disrupting holiday travel, though conditions are expected to improve by Christmas Day.

The Santa Claus rally, a historically favorable period for stock market returns around the holidays, officially began Tuesday, encompassing the final five trading days of the year and the first two of the next.

Nordstrom announced plans to go private after 53 years as a public company, with the Nordstrom family regaining majority control through a deal involving Mexican retail chain El Puerto de Liverpool.

The FDA has approved Zepbound, developed by Eli Lilly, as the first prescription medication to treat moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity, marking a significant milestone for the company.

Party City announced it is closing operations immediately, with corporate employees’ last day of employment on Friday and no severance pay or continued benefits.

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s non-guaranteed bonds are seeing their risk premium drop to the lowest level since their issuance in 2018. This reflects growing investor confidence in the utility's turnaround efforts, fueled by a focus on returning to profitability and reducing debt.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average endured its longest losing streak since 1974, with Wednesday marking its 11th consecutive decline and the steepest point drop since September 2022. The Dow fell over 1,100 points (2.6%) following a Federal Reserve update announcing a modest 25-basis-point rate cut and projecting only two more such cuts in 2025, fewer than previously expected.