Wednesday 13 August 2025
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: US inflation increases by less than expected
Business and markets: Start-up offers to buy Google Chrome for $34.5 bn
Foreign Affairs: China ends relations with Czech President over Dalai Lama
Security and intelligence: Finland prosecutes Russian “shadow fleet”
Domestic politics: UK Government considers new planning rules
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 9,147.81 (up 0.2%)
S&P 500 = 6,445.76 (up 1.13%)
Nasdaq = 21,681.90 (up 1.39%)
Stoxx 600 = 547.89 (up 0.21%)
£1 = $1.35 / €1.16
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: US inflation increased by 2.7 per cent in July – this is marginally less than the 2.8 per cent that had been expected.
The S&P 500 touched a record high on the news, with traders pricing in a 90 per cent chance of an interest rate cut in September.
Business and markets: AI start-up company, Perplexity AI, has made a bid to buy Google’s Chrome internet browser for $34.5 billion. Perplexity itself is only worth around $18 billion but investors have said they would back the deal. The US Department of Justice has proposed that Google sell Chrome after Google lost a competition lawsuit last year.
Foreign Affairs: The Chinese Government has said that it will cease engagement with the Czech President after he met the Dalai Lama. Czech President Pavel met the Dalai Lama in India on 27 July to congratulate him on his 90th birthday.
Security and intelligence: Finland has submitted criminal charges against the captain and crew of a ship alleged to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet.
The ship, Eagle S, is an oil tanker which Finnish prosecutors claim damaged five telecom cables in the Gulf of Finland.
Russia’s shadow fleet is a clandestine network of old and often uninsured vessels used to evade Western sanctions.
Domestic politics: There are reports that the UK Government may introduce a new Planning Bill in a bid to further support economic growth. The rules would speed up approval of national projects such as a third runway at Heathrow. The Chancellor has said construction at Heathrow should start in 2029.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
Germany hosts emergency virtual summit on Ukraine (European leaders, President Trump and President Zelensky expected to attend)
UEFA Super Cup final 2025, Italy (PSG vs Tottenham)
Company results from: Persimmon, Hill & Smith
Lookahead to tomorrow
UN Global Plastics Treaty conference (final day)
UK, EU, Japan GDP data (Q2 2025)
UK, EU industrial production data (June)
China unemployment data (July)
Company results from: Savills
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Bright sunshine across most of the UK. Light cloud in Cornwall. High of 28C and low of 16C in London.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful because we're too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.” – Steven Spielberg, film director
Mighty takeaway: Sometimes the greatest inspiration comes when you switch off and allow yourself to be bored.
That’s it for this Wednesday morning. Stay cool in this weather!
Bye!
The Mighty Memo team