Stocks gain tracking tech, Fed and trade
Global stock markets mostly rose Tuesday as investors geared up for the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting outcome and earnings from tech titans, which will be pored over for signs of AI momentum.In New York, the Dow blue-chip index ran into some profit-taking but the broader S&P index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite were well bid.European equity markets ended the day mostly higher, with Frankfurt slipping lower.Earlier Tuesday, Asian stocks brushed off South Korea-US tariff concerns, instead focusing on “hopes of strong earnings from the US tech heavyweights in the next couple of days”, said Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive investor.Tech firms are enjoying a fresh boost ahead of earnings releases as traders continue to pile into all things artificial intelligence.Apple, Meta, Microsoft and Tesla give updates this week, with other bellwethers including Texas Instruments, Boeing and Mastercard providing an idea about the state of the US economy.Boeing shares rose 1.8 percent after the aircraft maker reported its first annual profit since 2018.Concerns remain meanwhile over the scale of investment in AI even as its deployment has yet to pay off significantly.Investor attention was also on the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting starting Tuesday.The US central bank is widely expected to hold key interest rates steady on Wednesday, but “markets will be watching keenly to see if Chair (Jerome) Powell, who’s kept a tight grip on monetary policy, is to be replaced by a Trump dove,” said Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown.Data released Tuesday showed consumer confidence in the United States plunged in January to its lowest level since 2014 as American households continue to fret about inflation and elevated costs of living.Lale Akoner, eToro market analyst, said that weaker sentiment gives the Fed more room to wait before acting, as it indicates a gradual slowdown in growth than a downturn.”If inflation continues to cool and growth softens gradually, rate cuts later in the year or into 2027 become more likely,” she said.Markets currently expect to Fed to cut interest rates next in June or July.US President Donald Trump has meanwhile reverted back to tariff threats this week, warning South Korea he would impose 25 percent tolls on goods including autos for falling short of expectations on an earlier pact struck with Washington.The dollar remained under pressure after a selloff sparked by talk of a joint intervention between US and Japanese authorities to support the yen.Shares in German sportswear brand Puma climbed strongly in Frankfurt with Chinese athletic goods giant Anta Sports set to purchase a leading stake in the company.But although posting a rise of 9.5 percent, Puma’s share price, at 23.71 euros, was quoted far below the 35 euros per share that Anta is paying Artemis, the holding firm of France’s Pinault family, for its 29-percent stake.This, analysts said, reflects investor caution about the group’s chances of turning its fortunes around, after seeing its market capitalisation plunge by about a third over the past year.- Key figures at around 1630 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.6 percent at 49,098.78 pointsNew York – S&P 500: UP 0.5 percent at 6,986.17New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 23,839.38London – FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 10,207.80 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 8,152.82 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 24,894.44 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.9 percent at 53,333.54 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.4 percent at 27,126.95 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 4,139.90 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1971 from $1.1883Dollar/yen: DOWN at 153.08 yen from 153.98 yen on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3766 from $1.3682Euro/pound: UP at 86.98 pence from 86.85 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.6 percent at $65.82 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.9 percent at $61.75 per barrelburs/rl/jh
US border enforcer set to leave Minneapolis as Trump tries to calm crisis
The US Border Patrol commander famed for reveling in aggressive, televised immigration crackdowns, and some federal agents were expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday as the White House sought to stem fallout over the second fatal shooting of a protester in a month.The imminent exit of Gregory Bovino, known for his military-style outfits and phalanxes of masked agents, was reported by US media as President Donald Trump’s new envoy Tom Homan was due to meet Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.Homan, the top US border security official, brings a less confrontational communication style and his appointment as Trump’s new point man for Minneapolis underlines the Republican president’s scramble to contain the political crisis.In another possible sign of deescalation, Frey announced, without giving details, that “some federal agents” will be leaving the Minnesota city.Protesters, braving sub-zero weather, were due to gather outside the state legislature later Tuesday.The shooting death at point blank range of 37-year-old protester Alex Pretti on Saturday sparked outrage nationwide, even among some of Trump’s usually ultra-loyal Republican allies in Congress.Former Democratic president Joe Biden on Tuesday said the situation “betrays our most basic values as Americans.” Former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have also spoken out.Pretti, shot multiple times after being knocked to the ground, was the second US citizen killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis this month, turning the city into ground zero of national tensions over Trump’s mass deportation policies.Protester Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot by an agent at point blank range in her car on January 7.The killings capped months of escalating violence in which masked, unidentified, and heavily armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Border Patrol agents have grabbed people suspected of violating immigration laws off the streets.The roving units are the spearhead for Trump’s vow to deport hundreds of thousands of people who are in the country illegally. But while the policy was initially popular, the chaotic and violent implementation is causing uproar.Despite multiple videos clearly showing that Pretti posed no threat, top officials initially claimed he had been intending to kill federal agents and described him as a “domestic terrorist.” Trump himself amplified the conspiracy theory on social media before retreating on Monday with a more conciliatory message.Concern over the violence and the attempt to blame Pretti for his death quickly spread to Washington.Republican Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday that agents involved in the Pretti shooting should be put “immediately” on administrative leave. Centrist Democratic Senator John Fetterman — who rarely criticizes Trump — said “grossly incompetent” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should be fired.The turmoil could even result in suspension of wide swaths of US government funding with Democrats threatening to block approval of routine spending bills up for votes in the Senate later this week.- Protestors feel vindicated -At a demonstration in Minneapolis on Monday, locals expressed relief that ICE was expected to scale down.”It’s a vindication to some degree. We have a lot of fear around what kind of violence and reprisals might come as they leave,” protester Kyle Wagner told AFP.”Our neighborhoods and communities have been brutalized by them, so any decrease in the numbers and the severity is just a huge relief to the community that’s been suffering for months now.”Jasmine Nelson, who was also at the demonstration, said she was inspired by locals coming together to protest the killings.”It’s really beautiful to see everyone get together like this and fight against these injustices,” she said.On another front, a federal judge in Minneapolis heard arguments on Monday about whether the deployment of federal officers violates the state of Minnesota’s sovereignty.In addition, the acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, was ordered to appear in a Minnesota federal court on Friday over a case of a man challenging his detention by the agency.
Jugement imminent pour Joël Guerriau, trois ans ferme requis pour avoir drogué Sandrine Josso
Jugement imminent pour Joël Guerriau: le tribunal correctionnel de Paris s’est retiré mardi pour délibérer au procès de l’ex-sénateur, contre lequel le parquet a requis trois ans de prison ferme pour avoir lourdement drogué en 2023 la députée Sandrine Josso afin de la violer.À la surprise générale de la salle, le tribunal a indiqué à l’issue des débats lundi et mardi qu’il se retirait pour délibérer, sans remettre la décision à une date ultérieure. Le jugement sera rendu dans les prochaines heures.Dans cette affaire, souvent perçue comme un cas emblématique de soumission chimique, ce que nie le prévenu, “M. Guerriau a volontairement placé de la MDMA dans le verre de champagne qu’il a servi à Sandrine Josso” lors d’un dîner à son domicile parisien le 14 novembre 2023, a estimé un peu plus tôt dans son réquisitoire le procureur Benjamin Coulon.Le représentant du ministère public a demandé au tribunal de prononcer un mandat de dépôt à effet différé pour les trois ans de prison ferme, ainsi que cinq années d’inéligibilité avec exécution provisoire et l’inscription au fichier des délinquants sexuels.En tant que sénateur de Loire-Atlantique de 2011 à 2025, Joël Guerriau “a lui-même voté la loi du 3 août 2018 qui a créé le délit d’administration de substance nuisible en vue de commettre un viol ou une agression sexuelle”, qui lui vaut d’encourir cinq ans de prison et 75.000 euros d’amende, a relevé le procureur.Pour calibrer ses réquisitions, le parquet a souligné le “caractère préparé, prémédité” des faits “d’une gravité extrême” commis par “un sénateur de la République” astreint à “un devoir d’exemplarité”.Il a toutefois noté à sa décharge que Joël Guerriau, 68 ans, possède un casier judiciaire vierge et a “donné une partie de sa vie au fonctionnement de la démocratie française”, appelant le tribunal à trancher “dans l’ambivalence de ces faits, de cette personnalité”.Lors de son interrogatoire lundi par le tribunal, Joël Guerriau a argué d’une inadvertance pour expliquer pourquoi une très forte dose de MDMA pure à 91,1% était diluée dans la coupe de champagne qu’il a servie à son amie de dix ans, niant toute intentionnalité ou caractère sexuel.- Débats sur l’intention sexuelle -L’élu centriste “n’est pas passé à l’acte, c’est vrai, aucun geste n’a été esquissé en direction de Mme Josso mais il lui a administré de la drogue dans le but de la violer”, a soutenu Benjamin Coulon. S’il l’a droguée, c’est “pour lui voler son portefeuille ?”, a-t-il ironisé.En grande détresse, parlant et se tenant debout avec difficulté, persuadée d’être sur le point de mourir, Sandrine Josso avait quitté précipitamment le domicile de Joël Guerriau deux heures après y être arrivée, et été prise en charge par des collègues à l’Assemblée nationale.Transportée à l’hôpital, les analyses toxicologiques avaient relevé une forte intoxication de son corps à l’ecstasy. Associée à l’alcool, la MDMA peut provoquer des trous de mémoire.Aujourd’hui politiquement engagée contre le fléau de la soumission chimique, Sandrine Josso est une femme traumatisée depuis les faits, déclarant lundi à la barre avoir découvert un “agresseur” sous le visage familier d’un vieil ami de sa famille politique.”Six mois d’arrêt de travail, des traitements physiques, un suivi psychologique et psychiatrique, des cauchemars, des réminiscences, une dissociation”, a listé son avocat Me Arnaud Godefroy, en réclamant 10.000 euros au titre du préjudice moral.Ayant la parole en dernier, la défense de M. Guerriau a appelé le tribunal à rendre non “pas un jugement sur la soumission chimique, mais un jugement sur les faits, le droit”.Sur l’intention sexuelle du sénateur, son avocat Me Henri Carpentier s’est étonné ainsi de “l’écart abyssal entre la certitude absolue affichée par le ministère public (…) et l’absence de tout acte certain”.Dès la révélation de cette affaire très médiatisée, “l’émotion a été unanime, le dégoût légitime. À partir de là, toute autre parole devenait absolument inaudible. L’émotion est mauvaise conseillère, elle efface toute nuance”, a-t-il mis en garde.Face aux dénégations de Joël Guerriau, “la crédibilité (de la partie civile) ne suffit pas à asseoir des poursuites et une condamnation”, a appuyé son autre avocate, Me Marie Roumiantseva, en demandant la relaxe.
Gabon’s new president faces first social protestTue, 27 Jan 2026 16:36:38 GMT
Less than a year after being elected, Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema is facing his first wave of social unrest, with teachers on strike and other civil servants threatening to down tools.The last action by teachers took place in 2022 under then president Ali Bongo, whose family ruled the small central African country for 55 …
Gabon’s new president faces first social protestTue, 27 Jan 2026 16:36:38 GMT Read More »
China’s Anta Sports to become top Puma shareholder
Chinese athletic goods giant Anta Sports will buy a controlling stake in historic German sportswear brand Puma for $1.79 billion, a stock exchange filing showed Tuesday.As it expands its international presence, Anta will buy 43 million shares for 35 euros apiece from the French billionaire Pinault family’s Artemis group, the statement to the Hong Kong exchange said, giving it a 29 percent stake.The price is a more than 60-percent premium to Puma’s last close, according to Bloomberg data, and values the deal at 1.51 billion euros.Anta said in the statement that the stake would “further enhance its presence and brand recognition in the global sporting goods market”, including China.”We believe Puma’s share price over the past few months does not fully reflect the long-term potential of the brand,” Anta chairman Ding Shizhong said.While the statement said Anta had no plans to launch a full takeover of Puma, it will “carefully assess the possibility of further deepening the partnership between the two parties in the future”.Artemis said the sale would allow it to “redeploy its resources to new value-creating sectors”.The deal is expected to close by the end of the year, though it is subject to regulatory approvals, and the company will buy shares with cash.In a statement sent to AFP, Puma CEO Arthur Hoeld welcomed Anta’s move, calling it a “vote of confidence in Puma and its strategic direction”.”Anta aims to empower Puma to fully realise its brand potential and its heritage,” Hoeld said.Anta declined to comment on the deal when contacted by AFP.The firm, based in China’s southeastern Fujian province, is one of the world’s largest sportswear companies.Founded in 1991, it is the parent company of many global brands through its subsidiary Amer Sports, including Wilson, Arc’teryx and Salomon.Anta closed its acquisition of Finland-based Amer in 2019, leading a consortium in a deal worth about $5.2 billion.It also controls rights in the vast Chinese market for foreign sportswear firms including Fila and Descente.Anta has become the world’s third-largest sportswear brand following Nike and Adidas, according to data analytics firm Euromonitor International.The purchase shows Anta “narrowing the gap” to those two giants, according to Marguerite Le Rolland, senior global insight manager for fashion at Euromonitor International.The Chinese sportswear giant will benefit from Puma’s global reputation, its leading position in India’s expanding sportswear market, and its partnership with Hyrox, the rapidly growing fitness trend, she said.”For Puma, this transaction will provide extra financial resources to turn around the business”.The German brand has been struggling with weak demand in recent months and saw sales decrease more than 15 percent in the third quarter of last year.CEO Hoeld, who was appointed last year, has said the brand had become “too commercial” and was undergoing a “reset” last year to improve on brand heat, distribution quality and product offering.Hoeld told investors in October that the company’s goal was to “become a top three sports brand in the future again”.He deemed 2026 a “year of transition”, vowing a return to growth in 2027.Puma is set to release its 2025 full-year financial results on February 26.pfc-mya-sam-bur/iv
US consumer confidence drops to lowest level since 2014
Consumer confidence in the United States plunged in January to its lowest level since 2014, survey data showed Tuesday, as American households continue to fret about inflation and elevated costs of living.The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index slumped by 9.7 points from December to 84.5, with consumers growing more cautious about major spending decisions.A consumption slowdown — if it took hold — would hit at the key driver of the world’s biggest economy, with consumer spending accounting for more than two-thirds of US GDP.The new data comes as US President Donald Trump struggles to reverse voters’ negative feelings about the economy ahead of the critical midterm elections in November — in which his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress.”Confidence collapsed in January, as consumer concerns about both the present situation and expectations for the future deepened,” said the research group’s chief economist Dana Peterson.She added that all five components of the index worsened, driving the overall level to its lowest since May 2014 — “surpassing its Covid-19 pandemic depths.”While the Conference Board survey data on expectations has diverged from spending patterns in the past, economist Oliver Allen of Pantheon Macroeconomics said: “We’d be surprised if its recent deterioration proves to be an entirely false signal.”This is “particularly given the recent stagnation in real incomes and the already rock-bottom personal saving rate,” he said in a note.In January, net views on current business conditions “dwindled to just barely positive,” while perceptions of employment conditions also weakened, The Conference Board said.Meanwhile, consumers tended to be pessimistic about factors influencing the economy.”The low hiring rate is a problem,” said Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long.”Layer on top of that a lot of geopolitical uncertainty over Venezuela, Greenland and the Federal Reserve, and Americans continue to be frustrated with the economy,” she added.Peterson of The Conference Board flagged that “references to prices and inflation, oil and gas prices, and food and grocery prices remained elevated.””Mentions of tariffs and trade, politics, and the labor market also rose in January, and references to health/insurance and war edged higher,” she said.Consumers increasingly indicated that they were not planning on big-ticket purchases in the next six months as well, suggesting that they are becoming more selective in their spending.”Used cars, furniture, TVs, and smartphones remained the most popular within their categories for future purchases,” according to The Conference Board.
Le PDG de la SNCF Jean Castex “sidéré” par la polémique “no kids”
“C’est complètement fou!”: Jean Castex, le PDG de la SNCF, s’est dit mardi “sidéré” par l’ampleur prise par la polémique “no kids” autour des voitures TGV “sans enfants” de la nouvelle classe affaires Optimum. “Dans nos trains, non seulement les enfants sont les bienvenus, mais ils sont surtout de plus en plus nombreux”, a-t-il assuré lors d’un déplacement à la gare TGV de Lille-Europe.Selon lui, en 2025, 8,4 millions d’enfants ont pris le train sur le réseau SNCF, “une très forte progression par rapport à cinq ans auparavant”. “Si j’élargis aux familles, il y a 10-15% de plus de familles à bord”, des données “à des années-lumières des polémiques sur le +no kids+”, a-t-il insisté.”L’espace Optimum est utile, répond à un besoin spécifique”, celui d’avoir “des espaces dédiés à l’activité professionnelle”, mais ne remet pas en cause la présence d’enfants par ailleurs dans les TGV: “Il y a aussi des espaces nurseries, des espaces familles”, a encore plaidé M. Castex.Dès le début de la polémique, la SNCF avait rappelé que la classe “Optimum” était pensée “pour les attentes spécifiques de nos clients professionnels” et que l’absence de jeunes enfants (moins de 12 ans) n’avait “rien d’une nouveauté”, puisque “c’était déjà le cas depuis des années” dans l’offre Business Première.Lundi, M. Castex a également écarté l’idée d’instaurer, à l’instar de ce qui existe dans d’autres pays européens, des voitures strictement dédiées aux familles ou aux enfants, mais s’est dit “personnellement à la disposition de toutes les associations de familles, des pouvoirs publics, pour encore améliorer la situation”.Jusqu’à présent le PDG de la SNCF n’avait pas publiquement réagi depuis l’émergence de la polémique sur la nouvelle classe affaires Optimum “sans enfants” lancée début janvier.La controverse a éclaté la semaine dernière sur les réseaux sociaux lorsqu’un compte dédié à l’enfance avait pointé du doigt un document publicitaire dans lequel SNCF Voyageurs indiquait que “pour garantir un maximum de confort à bord de l’espace dédié, les enfants n’étaient pas acceptés”.De nombreuses personnalités politiques de tous bords avaient largement critiqué cette communication.Face aux reproches, la SNCF avait reconnu une “formule marketing maladroite”, qui a été ensuite “retirée”.Les places Optimum ne représentent que 8% des places proposées, et seulement du lundi au vendredi, avait-elle ajouté, rappelant aussi ses tarifications spéciales enfants et adolescents, ainsi que ses “espaces familles” proposés dans les TGV Inoui les weekends, jours fériés et jours de départs en vacances.