Wall Street's China Problem & UBS's $35B Credit Suisse Windfall

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) The Olayan Group, a Saudi empire led by sisters Lubna and Hutham Olayan, has grown in influence, with a nearly $13 billion stock portfolio in the US and stakes in companies like BlackRock Inc. and JPMorgan.(2) US negotiators offered more significant security guarantees to Kyiv as part of President Donald Trump’s renewed push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, but the effort still appeared part of a bid to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on territory.(3) Nasdaq, the second-largest exchange in the US, is looking for regulatory approval to extend trading hours on its stock venues to 23 hours during the work week.(4) President Donald Trump sued the BBC for at least $10 billion over a misleading edit in a documentary last year that gave the impression he’d made a direct call for violence in a speech leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.(5) The UK finalized a long-awaited free trade agreement with South Korea that the government said would boost exporters from automaker Bentley to beverages firm Diageo.Podcast Conversation: The 25 Best Places to Travel in 2026, From Argentina to GabonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Des 202518min

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) At around 6:47 p.m., as the sun began to fade on a warm Sunday afternoon at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach, the first gunshots rang out. Soon two gunmen were spotted in a parking lot close to a grassy area just off the beach, where more than 1,000 members of the Jewish community in Australia had gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah.(2) President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signaled that Ukraine could accept security guarantees from the US and Europe as a way to prevent future Russian aggression, and substitute for its long-term goal of joining NATO.(3) Brown University, mourning two students killed during a shooting rampage Saturday, sent students home and called off final exams, classes and assignments for the fall semester.(4) Wage growth for the lowest-paid workers is starting to slow as a worsening jobs market undercuts the bargaining power of a section of the workforce that has proved resistant to the Bank of England’s inflation-fighting efforts, new data shows.(5) The head of Britain's Armed Forces says the "whole nation" needs to become more resilient and prioritise industry and infrastructure to deter the growing threat from Russia.In speech later today, the UK Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton will warn the price of peace is increasing, as Russia attempts to divide and destroy NATO.Podcast Conversation: AI Is Getting Dangerously Good at Political PersuasionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Des 202517min

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. In the US – a look ahead to the November jobs report and quarterly earnings from Nike. In the UK – a look ahead to the Conference of Paris. In Asia – a look ahead to the next monetary policy decision from the Bank of Japan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Des 202539min

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) President Donald Trump said the US would be willing to contribute assistance to Ukraine as part of a security agreement to end the war with Russia, but continued to express frustration with the pace of talks.(2) The seizure of an enormous oil supertanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday is just the beginning of a new phase in the Trump administration’s ramped-up pressure campaign against Nicolas Maduro, according to people familiar with the operation.(3) The premium Britain pays to finance its debts has narrowed thanks to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves shoring up the public finances in her budget last month, and a helping hand from her central bank.(4) Broadcom, a chip company vying with Nvidia for AI computing revenue, suffered a stock slide after its sales outlook for the red-hot market failed to meet investors’ lofty expectations.(5) China Vanke, the last big survivor of the country’s yearslong property crunch, sent investors an innocuous-looking announcement about a $3.1 billion loan agreement with a state-owned shareholder. But the Nov. 2 statement contained a twist: Shenzhen Metro Group, which had given unwavering support to the developer for nearly two years, now set a cap on any further financing. Podcast Conversation: Bob Iger Just Got the Better of Sam Altman: Dave Lee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Des 202521min

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) US forces intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a serious escalation of tensions between the two countries.(2) Ukraine sent a revised peace plan to Washington as President Donald Trump held a call with European leaders, according to a person familiar, as both sides scramble to keep efforts on track to end Russia’s invasion.(3) Federal Reserve officials delivered a third consecutive interest-rate reduction and maintained their outlook for just one cut in 2026.(4) Oracle shares fell more than 10% in extended trading after the company reported a jump in spending on AI data centers and other equipment, rising outlays that are taking longer to translate into cloud revenue than investors want.(5) London is experiencing the most widespread declines in house prices in the UK, estate agents warned, as the capital bears the brunt of Labour’s new tax on high-value homes.(6) Poland is the European Union’s biggest coal producer, but Europe’s Coal Mining Holdout Braces for Its Inevitable DemisePodcast Conversation: Diageo Taps Into Guinness Boom With New London Tourist HubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Des 202518min

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) Federal Reserve officials are primed to deliver a third consecutive interest-rate cut on Wednesday, but the streak may end there.(2) France’s National Assembly adopted a social security bill for next year, avoiding a potential government crisis and making it more likely lawmakers will pass a new budget by year-end.(3) Australia’s social media ban for youths took effect Wednesday, a landmark move that’s drawn global attention at a time governments are increasingly enacting rules to shield minors from harmful online content.(4) President Donald Trump said Russia is in a stronger military position in its war on Ukraine and scolded European leaders for what he called excessive dialog that’s produced scant results in his latest broadside against historical allies.(5) HSBC's CEO Georges Elhedery says not enough executives at the bank were fully accountable for their performance - before he began his radical restructuring of the lender 15 months ago.Podcast Conversation: In Reality, Japan Is No Country for Old Salarymen: Gearoid ReidySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Des 202516min

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) Paramount has launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc at $30 a share in cash on Monday, just days after the company agreed to a deal with Netflix Inc. The offer values Warner Bros. at $108.4 billion, including debt.(2) European leaders are increasingly confident they will reach a deal to use frozen Russian assets before the end of the year following talks in London, even as a gulf remains between Europe and the US on providing security guarantees for Kyiv.(3) President Donald Trump granted Nvidia Corp. permission to ship its H200 artificial intelligence chip to China in exchange for a 25% surcharge, a move that lets the world’s most valuable company potentially regain billions of dollars in lost business from a key global market.(4) Unilever's new spinoff - The Magnum Ice Cream Company - was valued lower than some analysts expected in its debut on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Magnum shares closed at €12.97 each on Monday, giving the company a market value of €7.94 billion.(5) US Treasury yields climbed to the highest in more than two months on Monday. It comes amid a slump in global bonds, ahead of the Federal Reserve interest-rate decision tomorrow.(6) Black Friday discounts failed to prevent a slowdown in UK retail - adding to evidence that speculation of tax rises ahead of the Autumn budget damaged consumer confidence.Podcast Conversation: Fancy Going Out in London? Good Luck Finding a Table NowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Des 202517min

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon called out slow bureaucracy in Europe in a warning that a “weak” continent poses a major economic risk to the US.(2) Keir Starmer will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in London on Monday as the UK prime minister and other key European leaders seek to steer US-led peace talks toward a resolution that protects Ukraine from the prospect of future Russian aggression.(3) US President Donald Trump raised potential antitrust concerns around Netflix’s planned $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, noting that the market share of the combined entity may pose problems(4) Yardeni Research now recommends effectively going underweight the Magnificent Seven megacap technology stocks versus the rest of the S&P 500, expecting a shift in earnings growth ahead.(5) UK homes worth more than £2 million ($2.7 million) could drop about 5% in value next year as the market adjusts to a so-called mansion tax, according to forecasts from Hamptons. Podcast Conversation: The Games Wall Street PlaysSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Des 202520min