Companies are now seeking refunds on tariffs after supreme court ruled Trump’s emergency levies were illegalSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxGeneral Motors is expecting a $500m tariff refund after the US supreme court struck down some of Donald Trump’s most sweeping levies.That has boosted the Detroit automaker’s outlook for 2026. On Tuesday, GM said it’s now looking to rake in $13.5bn-$15.5bn in earnings before interest and taxes this year – up from previous forecasts of $13bn-$15bn. Continue reading...
• The S&P 500 index closed at 6,450.06, down 16.52 points or 0.26%, reflecting cautious trading in US equities over the past day.
• Broader market showed divergence with Dow Jones ETF down 0.16% at 492.21, while S&P ETF rose 0.77% to 713.94 and Nasdaq QQQ gained 1.88% to 663.88.
• Gold prices fell to 4,725.40 per ounce, down 15.50, amid shifting investor risk appetite ahead of economic data releases.
• US stock indexes rose on April 22, 2026, with the S&P 500 up 0.9% nearing its all-time high, Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 317 points or 0.7%, and Nasdaq composite jumping 1.3%.
• Brent crude oil surged 3.6% to $102.04 per barrel due to uncertainty over the US-Iran war impacting Persian Gulf petroleum flows.
• Corporate earnings boosted shares: GE Vernova soared 12.1% after exceeding first-quarter profit expectations, Boston Scientific rallied 8.6%, Boeing climbed 5.7%, and Philip Morris rose 6.9%.
Rising costs have continued to plague the company, now facing soaring fuel costs due to the war with IranSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe White House is finalizing a financing package to help ailing US budget carrier Spirit Airlines, which could receive as much as $500m in loans as rising costs continue to plague the company.News of the potential deal comes as Spirit and others struggle with soaring fuel costs due to the war with Iran. Continue reading...
Company promises to meet new delivery targets by next May after being fined last year for poor recordBusiness live – latest updatesSecond-class post will be delivered every other weekday and scrapped on Saturdays from next month as part of a £500m plan to tackle late deliveries at struggling Royal Mail.The delivery company has been testing a new letter delivery pattern in a pilot since July, and it will be rolled out nationwide in May. Continue reading...
• US stocks demonstrated resilience amid Iran geopolitical tensions and high energy prices, with the S&P 500 up nearly 2% year-to-date by April 14, just 1% below its January 27 all-time high.
• The index's maximum drawdown stayed under 10%, cushioned by forward earnings estimates growing at a 17% annual rate despite a 20% drop in P/E ratios.
• S&P 500 profit margins hit new highs around 15% in early April, driven by broad fundamentals including AI and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act effects, not just energy sector gains.
• Perplexity AI announced a Series D funding round of $500 million at an $8.5 billion post-money valuation on April 19, led by prominent venture capital firms and strategic investors including Nvidia and Saudi PIF.
• The funding will support expansion of Perplexity's AI search engine capabilities, development of enterprise API offerings, and geographic expansion into European and Asian markets with localized language models.
• The round positions Perplexity as a serious challenger to Google Search and reflects growing investor confidence in AI-powered search alternatives and conversational information retrieval platforms.
• S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% and the benchmark notched back-to-back record highs as growing speculation that a deal to end the US-Iran war is nearing prompts traders to take on more risk.
• The index is on course for a third week of gains exceeding 3%, with the S&P up nearly 8% month to date, marking a stunning reversal following mounting signs of US-Iran deescalation.
• The market rally reflects relief over potential resolution of the conflict that has roiled energy markets, with traders increasingly positioning for a ceasefire outcome.
Technology secretary plays down fears over jobs and cyber security as stake taken in British startupThe UK technology secretary has urged the country to “make AI work for Britain”, brushing off fears about its impact on jobs and cybersecurity as the government announced its first investment under a £500m sovereign AI fund. Liz Kendall said the UK had to “seize” the opportunity offered by AI despite concerns underlined this month when US startup Anthropic revealed it had developed an AI model that posed a potentially significant cyber threat. Asked how the government makes the case for embracing a technology that could disrupt jobs and now cybersecurity, Kendall said: “We have to seize this to make it work, for Britain, for our jobs, for solving the biggest challenges we face as a world.”Speaking on Thursday as the government unveiled its first investment in a UK company as part of a £500m sovereign AI fund, Kendall acknowledged “people are worried about the risks and what it means for their jobs”, but AI entrepreneurs also believed they can “make it work … they can create jobs”. Continue reading...
• The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to close above 7,000 points for the first time, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.6% to a record high, driven by gains in technology and software stocks and optimism over potential U.S.-Iran peace talks.
• Bank of America posted a 17% rise in quarterly profit from strong trading and investment banking fee rebounds, while Morgan Stanley reported a near 30% profit jump supported by record equities trading revenue and improved dealmaking activity.
• Stock index futures edged higher after-hours, with S&P 500 Futures up 0.2% to 7,070.75 points and Nasdaq 100 Futures rising 0.3% to 26,440.75 points, reflecting continued market momentum.
• The US500 index rose to 6970 points on April 15, 2026, gaining 0.04% from the previous trading session.
• Amazon led gainers with a 2.55% increase, followed by Nvidia at 1.54% and Microsoft at 1.49%, while Chevron fell 2.15%.
• Over the past month, the index has climbed 4.03% and is up 29.14% compared to the same period last year, according to contract-for-difference tracking.
Musician says he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his music careerMassive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja has been arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation after attending a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action in central London on Saturday.Del Naja, also known as 3D, was among hundreds of fellow demonstrators in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon, holding a sign that read “I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action”. Continue reading...
• The S&P 500 fell 1.8% Thursday, driven by disappointing earnings from major technology companies that missed analyst expectations on revenue growth and profitability.
• Mega-cap tech stocks including those from leading AI companies dropped 2.3% collectively, erasing early-week gains as forward guidance pointed to slowing demand for enterprise AI solutions.
• The sell-off extended to semiconductor and cloud infrastructure stocks, with the Nasdaq Composite declining 2.1%, signaling growing investor concerns about the sustainability of recent valuations.
• US military C-130s airlifted 500 tons of food and medicine to Port-au-Prince on April 8, 2026, as gangs control 80% of the capital.
• Over 4,000 killed this year; UN reports 1.5 million face starvation, prompting Biden admin's $100 million pledge.
• Aid crucial for US backyard stability, preventing mass migration waves like 2021's 20,000 border encounters.
• NIH awarded $500 million in grants on April 7, 2026, to 15 US institutions for CRISPR-based gene therapies addressing 100,000 Americans with sickle cell disease.
• Phase 2 trials at Boston Children's show 94% pain crisis reduction; total funding supports 200 patients over five years.
• Initiative responds to 17% US mortality drop goal by 2030; 'Breakthrough for underserved communities,' per NIH Director.
• U.S. stock futures surged with S&P 500 Index futures climbing 25 points to $6,600 after President Donald Trump announced a two-week suspension of Iran attacks pending agreements.
• Oil prices fell sharply in response to the de-escalation news, easing supply disruption fears and boosting market sentiment on Monday morning.
• The rally reflects investor optimism over potential US-Iran talks and a 50-day ceasefire, reducing geopolitical risks impacting energy and equities.
• The S&P 500 fell 2% for its fifth consecutive weekly decline, the first such streak since 2022, amid Mideast conflict de-escalation hopes.
• Brent crude rose to $112 per barrel, with U.S. 10-year yields climbing to 4.43% on inflation fears from sustained high energy prices.
• BlackRock warns elevated oil could shift focus from rate cuts to whether central bank policies can match rising inflation.
• A UN report released April 5, 2026, warns of famine in Sudan affecting 25 million people, prompting the US to announce $500 million in emergency food aid amid ongoing civil war.
• USAID Administrator Samantha Power highlighted clashes between RSF and SAF displacing 4.5 million since last year, with child malnutrition rates at 30% in Darfur.
• The crisis underscores US humanitarian leadership but strains budgets amid domestic priorities, potentially influencing congressional funding debates.
• The S&P 500 index has declined 6.96% year-to-date through early April 2026, with the S&P 500 Growth Index dropping a steeper 11.11% amid shifting investor focus.
• Investment managers adopted defensive postures by buying U.S. Treasury bonds as economic slowdown signals emerged, though rising oil prices took center stage.
• Gold, silver, and bitcoin prices fell while crude surges from Iran conflict and distribution chokepoints overshadowed traditional safe-haven demand.
Priceless artefact snatched in Netherlands museum heist has been recovered, ending international searchA priceless gold 2,500-year-old helmet from Romania, stolen last year in the Netherlands, has been recovered, according to a Dutch art detective.“It’s amazing. It’s the best news we could have got,” Arthur Brand said on Thursday, confirming that the Helmet of Coțofenești had been found. Continue reading...
• US stocks closed Q1 2026 attempting a rebound from the year's deepest downturn, with S&P 500 marking a second straight down month.
• Geopolitics and soaring oil prices dominated sentiment, boosting energy as the sole positive sector while industrials weakened most.
• Spot crude rallied 55.2% in March, the second-largest monthly gain in 40 years, lifting energy stocks significantly.