Be in the know. 17 key reads for Friday…

  1. Alibaba Debuts OpenClaw App to Feed China’s Agentic AI Addiction (bloomberg)
  2. China AI Giants Offer Better Value Than US Peers, Top Fund Says (bloomberg)
  3. Morgan Stanley says this China name is ‘a global AI winner’ (streetinsider)
  4. Will Lower Rates Shift Bank Deposits Into Stocks? (chinalastnight)
  5. China’s Credit Shows Surprise Growth as Firms Step Up Borrowing (bloomberg)
  6. Banking Regulators Plan to Ease Some Capital Requirements (nytimes)
  7. It Takes A War To Bring Down An Economy This Strong (zerohedge)
  8. US Housing Starts Highest In Over A Year As Mortgage Rates Tumbled In January (zerohedge)
  9. REITs Are a Safe Place to Hide From Iran and AI (barrons)
  10. The Electric Grid Needs Huge Upgrades. No One Knows Who Will Pay for Them. (wsj)
  11. How Big Tech’s AI Ambitions Are Fueling a Borrowing Boom (bloomberg)
  12. Global equity funds see highest outflows since December on oil shock fears (reuters)
  13. Sec. Bessent: U.S. Navy will escort vessels through Strait of Hormuz as soon as militarily possible (youtube)
  14. Papa John’s at UBS Global Conference: Strategic Growth Initiatives (investing)
  15. An Exodus of Money Endangers Wall Street’s Private-Credit Craze (wsj)
  16. The 10 Best Dividend Stocks (morningstar)
  17. Disney appoints veteran Paul Roeder as communications chief (reuters)

Be in the know. 21 key reads for Thursday…

  1. Papa John’s Draws Fresh Takeover Interest From Qatari-Backed Fund (wsj)
  2. Alibaba AI Concerns Are Overblown. Why the Stock Could Bounce Back After Earnings. (barrons)
  3. Morgan Stanley says this China name is ’a global AI winner’ (investing)
  4. Alibaba-Backed Video AI Startup PixVerse Raises $300 Million (bloomberg)
  5. China’s AI hiring soars 12x, outpaces other ‘new-economy’ sectors (techinasia)
  6. China Pivots to Domestic Demand in New Five-Year Plan (youtube)
  7. Big Warehouses Are Back in Demand (wsj)
  8. US Starts Trade Probe Into China, EU in Trump’s Tariffs Revival (bloomberg)
  9. How Homeowners Are Turning to Adjustable-Rate Mortgages, in Charts (wsj)
  10. Trump-Backed Housing Bill Set to Pass Senate. What It Means for Blackstone, Home Building. (barrons)
  11. Iran War Is Good for America’s Natural Gas Industry (bloomberg)
  12. Natural Gas Boom Will Spur a Shortage of US Fracking Gear, Shale Boss Says (bloomberg)
  13. US to Release 172 Million Barrels of Oil for IEA Relief Plan (bloomberg)
  14. Energy Secretary Wright says U.S. ‘not ready’ to escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz yet (cnbc)
  15. Oil Surges Near $100 as IEA Slashes Crude Forecast After Iran Strikes on 3 Cargo Ships (barrons)
  16. CEOs Gain Confidence in US Economic Outlook Despite Iran War (bloomberg)
  17. US Core CPI Tumbles To Slowest In 4 Years (Before Iran-Triggered Oil Spike) (zerohedge)
  18. Foreign Stocks Are Reeling From the Iran War. Buying the Dip Could Pay Off. (barrons)
  19. United Health and 8 More Dividend Stocks to Ride Out an Oil Shock (barrons)
  20. Estée Lauder sues perfumer Jo Malone for breach of contract (ft)
  21. Baxter at Barclays Conference: Strategic Shifts Amid Challenges (investing)