Watch Citrini Report Author Sees AI Disrupting Global Economy - Bloomberg (24.02.2026)
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Trump Announces First Japan Investments Under Trade Deal (18.02.2026)
Japan plans to invest $36 billion in US oil, gas and critical mineral projects, the first tranche of its $550 billion commitment under the trade agreement it struck with President Donald Trump.
OpenAI Funding on Track to Top $100 Billion With Latest Round (19.02.2026)
OpenAI is close to finalizing the first phase of a new funding round that is likely to bring in more than $100 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, a record-breaking financing deal that would give the startup additional capital to build out its artificial intelligence tools.
Euro-Zone Business Activity Up on German Manufacturing Revival (20.02.2026)
Private-sector activity in the euro area surpassed expectations as manufacturers recorded their best performance since 2022 thanks to surprise growth in Germany.
US Trade Deficit Widens, Capping One of Biggest Gaps Since 1960 (19.02.2026)
The US trade deficit widened in December, capping a turbulent year of erratic tariff policy.
US Trade Deficit Widens, Capping One of Biggest Gaps Since 1960 (19.02.2026)
The US trade deficit widened in December, capping a turbulent year of erratic tariff policy.
ECB Says Lagarde Has Not Taken Decision on Term End After FT Report (18.02.2026)
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is expected to step down from her role before her eight-year term ends in October 2027, the Financial Times reported.
KEYTOPIC#2.4 - The EU is thrashing out a more muscular set of economic policies (19.02.2026)
Zusammenfassung:
Beschleunigung der Wirtschaftspolitik aufgrund geopolitischer Bedrohungen Die EU sieht sich aufgrund geopolitischer Bedrohungen durch Russland, China und die USA veranlasst, ihre Wirtschaftspolitik zu beschleunigen und durchsetzungsfähiger zu gestalten, mit einem umfassenden Plan, der von Ursula von der Leyen vorgelegt werden soll.
Kompromiss aus Liberalismus und Protektionismus Die vorgeschlagenen Reformen versuchen, einen Kompromiss zwischen dem traditionell liberalen Ansatz der EU (durch Bürokratieabbau und neue Handelsabkommen) und verstärkten Schutzmaßnahmen zu finden.
Stärkung des Binnenmarktes und Förderung europäischer Champions Ein stärkerer Binnenmarkt soll durch tiefere Kapitalmarktintegration und die Schaffung eines europäischen Gesellschaftsrechts gefördert werden, wobei die Kommission auch darauf abzielt, durch Wettbewerbsrecht "europäische Champions" zu unterstützen.
Kontroverse "Buy European"-Klauseln Ein kontroverser neuer Aspekt sind „Buy European“-Klauseln bei öffentlichen Aufträgen und staatlichen Subventionen, insbesondere im Verteidigungsbereich. Diese stoßen auf Widerstand von liberalen Mitgliedstaaten und Populisten, die höhere Kosten und eine Benachteiligung kleinerer Länder befürchten.
Appell zur Besonnenheit trotz Panikmache Trotz der Dringlichkeit der Debatte deutet der Text darauf hin, dass die Panik der EU-Führer übertrieben sein könnte, da sich die Industrieproduktion erholt und einige Länder im aktuellen Rahmen florieren. Es wird empfohlen, am liberalen Wirtschaftsmodell festzuhalten, das Europa stark gemacht hat.
AI Angst in US Stocks Sends Global Money Chasing Asia’s Winners (13.02.2026)
Wall Street’s fears of business disruption caused by artificial intelligence are turning into a blessing for Asian stocks, fueling demand for the region’s leading chipmakers that dominate the industry’s supply chain.
KEYTOPIC#3.1 - Merz Says Transatlantic Alliance Must Evolve to Respond to Trump (13.02.2026)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a reordering of the transatlantic relationship as European leaders struggle with the turmoil of Donald Trump’s second term.
Merz said leaders must come to terms with the fact that the world has changed and that the liberal order “no longer exists as it did”.
Merz warned against a new era of great power politics and said that Germany and Europe need to bolster their security and independence together, while seeking partnerships with other regions.
Merz made reference to Vance’s speech as an unmistakable breech in the transatlantic relationship. He drew a sharp line over Trump-style politics, saying that the “culture wars of the MAGA movement are not our own.”
referring to the “wrecking ball politics” across the globe as Trump seeks to dismantle some of the main pillars of a system that the US helped build.
“More than 80 years after construction began, the US-led post-1945 international order is now under destruction,” the Munich report concluded.
OpenAI Accuses DeepSeek of Distilling US Models to Gain an Edge (12.02.2026)
OpenAI has warned US lawmakers that its Chinese rival DeepSeek is using unfair and increasingly sophisticated methods to extract results from leading US AI models to train the next generation of its breakthrough R1 chatbot, according to a memo reviewed by Bloomberg News.
Capital Group Bets on ECB to Hike Rates in 2026, Boosting Euro (13.02.2026)
The European Central Bank will raise interest rates at least once this year, significantly boosting the euro against the dollar, according to Capital Group, the $3.3 trillion asset manager.
Consumer prices rose 2.4% annually in January, less than expected (13.02.2026)
The consumer price index was expected to increase 2.5% from a year ago in January, according to the Dow Jones consensus.
Traders Boost Bets to 50% for Fed to Cut Three Times This Year (13.02.2026)
Traders priced in higher odds that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates more than twice this year, unleashing gains in the Treasury market, after a gauge of US inflation eased.
Euro-Area Finance Chiefs Push for Bigger Role of Single Currency (16.02.2026)
Euro-area finance chiefs are pushing to expand the single currency’s global role, as US President Donald Trump roils markets and the US dollar weakens.
Rubio Pledges US Support for Orban Ahead of Hungary’s Vote (16.02.2026)
US President Donald Trump would provide assistance if Hungary ever ran into financial trouble under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, giving an extraordinary endorsement to the long-time leader ahead of an election in April.
Trump Calls Rubio, Vance ‘Fantastic’ Amid 2028 Speculation (17.02.2026)
President Donald Trump said Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are both “fantastic,” but fell short of saying if he would support either one of them to lead the Republican presidential ticket in the 2028 election.
Trillion-Dollar Tech Wipeout Ensnares All Stocks in AI’s Path (05.02.2026)
There have been many AI-driven selloffs in the three years since ChatGPT burst into the mainstream. Nothing, though, quite rivals the rout rippling through stock and credit markets this week.
BYD Extends German Car Sales Lead Over Tesla With 1,000% Surge (04.02.2026)
BYD Co.’s German sales surged more than ten-fold last month as the Chinese automaker continues to expand in Europe’s largest electric-vehicle market.
Europäische Zentralbank belässt Leitzins bei 2,0 Prozent (05.02.2026)
Die Zinspause der Europäischen Zentralbank geht in die Verlängerung. Zum fünften Mal in Folge haben die Währungshüter um EZB-Chefin Christine Lagarde den Leitzins nicht angetastet.
ECB Holds Rates as Euro Rally and Tariffs Threaten Economy (05.02.2026)
The European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged, with President Christine Lagarde downplaying the recent euro rally and again describing inflation as being in a “good place.”
Anthropic’s Move Into Legal Is Sinking Data Services Stocks (03.02.2026)
Stocks seen as vulnerable to disruption from artificial intelligence slid sharply on Tuesday after Anthropic released a tool designed to automate legal work, adding to worries about the impact that AI will have on data services and information businesses.
KEYTOPIC#2 - Europe to Soften Emissions Curbs on Companies in Flagship Market (05.02.2026)
The European Union is set to relax emissions-reduction rules for thousands of companies, recalibrating the world’s most rigorous carbon market under pressure from industry and governments concerned about the region’s sinking competitiveness.
The European Union is set to relax emissions-reduction rules for thousands of companies, recalibrating the world’s most rigorous carbon market under pressure from industry and governments.
The EU is reassessing its climate policies, with the ambitious green transition slipping down the political agenda amid concerns about competitiveness, trade protectionism, and energy costs.
Europe’s Reliance on US, Russian LNG Climbs to Record Above 80% (05.02.2026)
Europe’s reliance on its two biggest providers of LNG surged to a record last month, stoking concern that the region is still failing to diversify.
Europe's reliance on its two biggest providers of LNG surged to a record last month, with the European Union getting more than 80% of its liquefied natural gas from the US and Russia in January.
The US accounted for 63% of imports, while Russian LNG shipments to the EU represented an 18% share of the total last month, and other suppliers covered the remaining 19% of LNG imports.
Big Tech to Spend $650 Billion This Year as AI Race Intensifies (06.02.2026)
Four of the biggest US technology companies together have forecast capital expenditures that will reach about $650 billion in 2026 — a mind-boggling tide of cash earmarked for new data centers and all the gear housed within them.
Europe’s Infrastructure Push Could Backfire, Partners Group Says (06.02.2026)
Europe’s quest for sovereignty in critical infrastructure like power grids and digital networks risks unsustainable asset-price growth in the sector as cash continues to pour in, according to one of Europe’s largest private equity firms.
Kocher: Größere globale Rolle des Euro vorbereiten (09.02.2026)
US Consumer Delinquencies Jump to Highest in Almost a Decade (10.02.2025)
Delinquency rates on loans ranging from mortgages to credit cards rose to 4.8% of all outstanding US household debt in the fourth quarter, the highest level since 2017, driven by higher defaults among low-income and young borrowers.
KEYTOPIC#4 - Why China’s Grip on Critical Minerals Is So Hard to Break (03.02.2026)
Zusammenfassung:
Chinas Dominanz bei kritischen Mineralien: China ist der weltweit dominante Lieferant von Mineralien wie Seltenen Erden, Lithium, Graphit und Kobalt, die für die Produktion von Elektrofahrzeugen, Solarpanels, Windturbinen und anderen kohlenstoffarmen Technologien unerlässlich sind.
Historische Entwicklung der Dominanz: Chinas Führungsrolle entwickelte sich durch frühe strategische Entscheidungen, massive Investitionen in die Raffination und Verarbeitung und die Abkehr westlicher Unternehmen von diesen energieintensiven und umweltschädlichen Prozessen.
Risiken der Abhängigkeit: Die starke Abhängigkeit von China birgt erhebliche Risiken für westliche Nationen, darunter Versorgungsunterbrechungen durch wirtschaftliche Rivalität, diplomatische Streitigkeiten oder interne Störungen, sowie die Gefahr der "Waffenisierung" dieser Materialien als Verhandlungsmittel, wie China es 2025 mit Exportbeschränkungen für Seltene Erden demonstrierte.
Gegenmaßnahmen und Strategien: Die USA und andere Länder reagieren mit erheblichen Anstrengungen, um alternative Lieferketten aufzubauen. Dazu gehören direkte Investitionen in heimische Bergbau- und Verarbeitungsunternehmen, Finanzierungen für Projekte weltweit, der Aufbau von Mineralien-Allianzen und die Schaffung strategischer Rohstofflager, wie das US-"Project Vault" oder der EU-"RESourceEU"-Plan.
Herausforderungen für die Unabhängigkeit: Trotz dieser Bemühungen ist der Weg zur Unabhängigkeit komplex. Die Verarbeitung kritischer Mineralien ist technisch anspruchsvoll, energieintensiv und umweltschädlich. Zudem hält China nicht nur die Verarbeitung in vielen Bereichen in der Hand, sondern kontrolliert auch einen großen Teil der Minen in anderen Ländern (z.B. Kobalt im Kongo und Seltene Erden in Myanmar), was die Diversifizierung erschwert.
A Few Countries Dominate the Production of Critical Raw Materials
Europe Is Dependent on China
Critical Raw Materials Are Getting Harder to Export
As early as 1992, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping was highlighting his country’s potential to lead the world in critical minerals, saying “The Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.”
China Has Powerful Leverage Over 'Heavy' Rare Earths
Fund Managers Saw Historic Withdrawals From ESG Labels Last Year (04.02.2026)
Funds with ESG investment goals saw $84 billion in outflows last year, marking the first time the global market for such products was hit by net redemptions, according to a report by Morningstar Inc.