Wednesday 14 May 2025
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: China offers billions in loans to Caribbean and Latin America
Business: Rheinmetall sees 46 per cent increase in Q1 2025 sales
Markets: US markets erase 2025 losses after tech surge
Foreign Affairs: Australia’s Liberal Party elects first woman leader
Security and intelligence: $142 billion US-Saudi Arabia defence deal
Domestic politics: UK MPs launch advocacy group on ‘play’ for children
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 8,602.92 (down 0.024%)
S&P 500 = 5,886.55 (up 0.72%)
Nasdaq = 19,010.08 (up 1.61%)
CAC40 = 7,873.83 (up 0.3%)
£1 = $1.33 / €1.19
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: At the China-CELAC Forum yesterday, the Chinese Government offered $9 billion in new credit to support development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In a veiled reference to the US, President Xi said China would help countries counter “unilateralism and protectionism” and that it would increase cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture and energy development.
Business: One of Europe’s largest arms manufacturers, Rheinmetall, saw a 46 per cent increase in sales in Q1 2025. The German company said that sales rose to €2.3 billion in the first three months of the year, with 70 per cent of sales made outside of Germany. Shares in Rheinmetall have increased by 170 per cent this year.
Markets: A rise in the value of the world’s biggest tech companies has erased the losses suffered by stock markets this year. Nvidia led the charge with its shares rising by 6 per cent after it was announced that the company would send 18,000 AI computer chips to Saudi Arabia. The broader market also continued to rise following the news of the US-China tariff agreement earlier this week.
Foreign Affairs: Australia’s conservative Liberal Party has elected a woman as its leader for the first time. Sussan Ley, a former pilot, was elected yesterday and will lead Australia’s Official Opposition. It comes after the Labor Government’s General Election victory on 3 May, in which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s party increased its majority by 16 seats.
Security and intelligence: At the start of his visit to the Middle East yesterday, President Trump announced a $142 billion defence deal with Saudi Arabia and also said he would remove sanctions from Syria. He added that he wanted a deal with Iran but would “inflict massive, maximum pressure” if Iran did not agree.
Domestic politics: UK MPs have launched a new group to advocate on the importance of play and playgrounds for children. The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) will campaign to introduce a “play sufficiency duty” in planning law so that more children have access to outdoor play areas.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
NATO Foreign Ministers meet in Turkey
NATO Defence Chiefs meet in Belgium
Prime Minister’s Questions in UK Parliament
Germany CPI inflation data (April)
South Korea trade data (April)
Company results from: Daimler, Porsche, E.ON, Sony
Lookahead to tomorrow
EU Trade Ministers meet in Belgium
US Supreme Court hears birthright citizenship case
Transport Questions in UK Parliament
US PGA Championship begins
UK, Japan, EU GDP data (Q1 2025)
UK, EU industrial production data (March)
US industrial production data (April)
EU employment data (Q1 2025)
US jobless claims (weekly)
US retail sales (April)
Company results from: Walmart, Alibaba, National Grid, ThyssenKrupp, RWE, Siemens
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Another sunny and dry day across the UK. Will it rain anytime soon? High of 23C and low of 8C in London.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity.” – Amelia Earhart, aviator
Mighty takeaway: Take that decision and be done with it. Stop procrastinating on whatever it might be.
That’s it for this Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading.
Bye!
The Mighty Memo team