U.S. President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 26, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
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It’s beginning to really feel like we’re in a recreation of Pac-Man, in which the U.S. authorities is the eponymous hungry yellow blob furiously chomping on all the pieces in sight.
The White House’s 10% stake in Intel and revenue-sharing agreement with Nvidia and AMD seem like they’re simply the start in a series of deals, as President Donald Trump promised. On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick informed CNBC that the Pentagon is having “a monstrous discussion” over whether or not to accumulate fairness stakes in companies similar to Lockheed Martin.
Likewise, Trump’s early assaults on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell turned out to be simply his opening salvo on the central financial institution. On Monday evening stateside, the U.S. chief terminated Lisa Cook, a Fed governor, over allegations of mortgage fraud. The subsequent day, at a Cabinet assembly, Trump mentioned he’ll “have a majority” of his nominees at the Fed, “so that’ll be great.”
Prior to Trump’s inauguration, analysts had been upbeat a few looser regulatory surroundings that would facilitate extra mergers and acquisitions. They most likely weren’t excited about the White House being the principal deal-maker.
What you could know as we speak
And lastly…
The Shanghai Stock Exchange on April 25, 2025.
Hector Retamal | Afp | Getty Images
China’s stock market looks to shake off casino vibes
About a decade in the past, China’s retail buyers sought annual returns of 30% to 50%, dismissing single-digit good points, mentioned Jin Xin, creator of a Chinese funding e-book. By distinction, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average have delivered lower than 15% annualized returns over the previous decade.
But mainland Chinese buyers have matured since then. Various crises worn out many portfolios. Now, buyers in China are much less prone to chase single-stock tales, whereas holding shares longer and aiming for regular 5% to 10% returns, Jin mentioned.
— Evelyn Cheng