business

South Korea is tightening regulations on single-stock leveraged ETFs after heavy investor losses during a sharp market downturn. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol apologized for approving the products, which magnify both gains and losses and can accelerate market declines through forced daily portfolio rebalancing.

Global stock markets declined as semiconductor companies faced a third consecutive day of selling. Investors reduced exposure to highly valued AI-related shares while assessing new competition and future profitability. Oil prices increased amid Middle East tensions, while bond yields fell and gold gained, reflecting a more cautious mood across international markets.

AI infrastructure company Fireworks has raised $1.51 billion in new funding, giving the Nvidia-backed startup a valuation of $17.5 billion. The company helps businesses access, customize and deploy artificial-intelligence models. The investment demonstrates continued demand for infrastructure capable of supporting commercial generative-AI products and services at scale.

Apple has overtaken Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company. The change follows renewed investor confidence in Apple’s artificial-intelligence strategy, while semiconductor shares face pressure after a powerful rally. The development shows how quickly market leadership can shift as investors reassess future AI growth and profitability.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted the company made mistakes during its AI-driven transformation, which included major layoffs, restructuring and the reassignment of thousands of employees. Despite challenges, Zuckerberg said Meta remains committed to AI investment, while promising greater stability and no further company-wide layoffs this year.

Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI has secured $2 billion in new funding, lifting its valuation above $20 billion amid China’s intensifying AI race. Its Kimi chatbot and open-source language models are gaining momentum, backed by major investors including Meituan and China Mobile, as competition with domestic and global AI rivals…

Paramount Global has reportedly acquired Warner Bros. Discovery in a landmark $110 billion merger. The historic agreement could transform the global entertainment landscape, combining major film studios, streaming platforms, and TV networks under one powerhouse to compete more aggressively in the evolving media market.