Copper to Hit New Record
Prices are set to climb above $12,000 per ton in 2025, driven by surging demand and Trump’s trade tariffs, the Financial Times has detailed. London copper hit $10,000 this week, nearing its May 2024 peak of $11,000. Shares of Freeport-McMoRan [FCX], the largest US copper miner, rose 3.3%, according to Benzinga, while the Global X Copper Miners ETF [COPX] climbed 2% to a three-month high.
US Blacklists China AI Firms
The US has blacklisted 80 entities, including over 50 from China, targeting artificial intelligence (AI), quantum tech and hypersonic weapons. Among those blacklisted are 11 Chinese and one Taiwanese entity specializing in AI and supercomputing. The move is intended to restrict China’s military-linked chip development, Seeking Alpha reported.
Beijing’s New Green Laws Could Impact Nvidia
China’s top economic planner is advising firms to use only energy-efficient chips in new data centers, according to a report from the Financial Times. This move will sideline Nvidia’s [NVDA] H20, which was designed to comply with US export controls. While the restrictions haven’t yet hit sales, the ban could threaten Nvidia’s $17bn China business, benefitting domestic rivals like Huawei.
Stablecoin Fever
Fidelity Investments is set to launch its own stablecoin, expanding its $5trn asset management business further into digital assets. The token, managed through its digital assets arm, aims to facilitate crypto market transactions, as the US prepares its first stablecoin regulation. Last week, OPTO unpacked why stablecoin is generating such excitement, and how, according to ARK Invest’s Big Ideas 2025 report, it is “reshaping the digital asset space”.
EV Wars: Who Sold More in 2024?
BYD [BYDDY] has beaten Tesla [TSLA] in terms of 2024 revenue, reporting a total of $107bn — outpacing Tesla’s $97.7bn — fueled by strong hybrid sales. While both firms sold around 1.8 million electric vehicles (EVs), the BBC reported, BYD’s total sales, including hybrids, hit a record 4.3 million. As Tesla battles the global backlash over Elon Musk’s Trump ties, BYD is launching a lower-priced rival to the Model 3 to solidify its dominance.
Solar Stock Secures Top Spot
JinkoSolar [JKS] led the industry in 2024 with 92.9 GW of module shipments, becoming the first manufacturer to surpass 300 GW in total deliveries. Despite this, revenue fell 22.3% to $12.64bn, while gross margin shrank to 10.9%, according to a press release seen by Seeking Alpha. BloombergNEF ranked it the most bankable solar module company of the year.
AI in China: Can Tencent See Off Alibaba and Baidu?
Competition in China’s AI industry has been intensifying since DeepSeek unveiled its R1 reasoning model in January. Since then, China’s big tech companies have rushed to push out new LLMs. The latest launch was last Friday, when Tencent [TCEHY] unveiled an upgraded version of its reasoning model, Hunyuan T1. On Foresight, OPTO examines whether this will allow Tencent to outpace its rivals.
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