Table of Contents

• Global Markets

• General Motors

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Economy & Finance

Global Markets

Global markets declined as investors awaited key U.S. inflation data and central bank decisions later in the week. U.S. stocks fell, led by the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq, while European shares ended an eight-day rally amid weak Chinese trade data. Expectations of rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, ECB, and other central banks fueled market focus. Gold reached a two-week high on geopolitical tensions and rate cut anticipation, while oil prices rose on Chinese stimulus and supply concerns. The dollar strengthened, bond yields edged higher, and small business confidence hit a multi-year high, offering mixed market sentiment.

Technology

General Motors

General Motors has decided to discontinue its robotaxi operations under the Cruise division, redirecting its efforts toward integrating autonomous systems into personal vehicles. This strategic pivot comes after a $10 billion investment and growing competition in the autonomous ride-hailing sector, with rivals like Waymo and Tesla gaining momentum. GM will merge Cruise into its broader technical team, cutting associated costs significantly. While Honda, a Cruise investor, is re-evaluating its related plans, the company’s internal challenges, including leadership issues and regulatory missteps, further complicated Cruise’s trajectory. GM plans to complete its acquisition of all Cruise shares by 2025.

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