Latest market news
Independent UK financial coverage with full source attribution.
AMZN Q2 2026 update — filings and holdings
China crude imports hit 2018 low; Shandong refinery rates at 2017 low
China's crude oil imports fell to their lowest level since 2018 as of 24 June 2026, while independent refinery operating rates in Shandong province dropped to 50.5%, the lowest since August 2017. US-Iran talks in Switzerland concluded with both parties committing to a final agreement within 60 days.
Bessent reaffirms 3% GDP growth target; Kalshi traders price lower
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on 24 June 2026 that GDP could reach 3% growth before year-end, reaffirming the '3-3-3' plan; Kalshi prediction market traders were reported pricing materially below that target.
AI-backed PACs spend up to $29m in NY-12 primary won by Lasher
Micah Lasher won the NY-12 Democratic primary on 24 June 2026 after PACs linked to OpenAI and Anthropic spent tens of millions in a proxy battle over AI regulation.
Morgan Stanley $7bn private credit fund gates redemptions at 5% in Q2 2026
Morgan Stanley's North Haven private credit fund capped redemptions at 5% of shares in Q2 2026, fulfilling less than half of withdrawal requests that totalled 11.6% of fund assets. Morgan Stanley (MS) was named as the parent entity managing the gated vehicle.
Deutsche Bahn halts all Germany trains in GSM-R outage
Deutsche Bahn temporarily suspended nationwide train services on 23 June 2026 after a failure of its GSM-R digital railway radio system, with partial service restored roughly two hours later.
Cboe relaunches S&P 500 binary options contracts after decade-long absence
Cboe Global Markets (CBOE) relaunched binary options contracts on the S&P 500 index (SPX) on or around 24 June 2026, re-entering a product category it had not offered for more than a decade and entering direct competition with prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket.
European heatwave drives UK power import costs to six times normal rate
European electricity prices reached record premiums on 23 June 2026 as Great Britain's power import costs rose to six times their normal rate; the UK's National Grid issued a rare summer supply warning for Wednesday evening, and Britain's grid operator called for increased generation capacity on 24 June 2026.
Trump denies Hormuz tolls imposed; shipping traffic through strait rose modestly
Trump posted on 24 June 2026 denying any tolls, surcharges, or transit fees on Hormuz vessels, and denying U.S. funds had been released to Iran. Shipping traffic through the Strait reportedly increased modestly after the statements, though volumes remained below pre-war levels.
Castlelake bids 625p per share for easyJet after three rejected proposals
Castlelake made three successive takeover proposals for easyJet at 560p, 600p, and 625p per share; the board rejected all three, and Castlelake took the 625p all-cash bid, valuing the airline at £4.7bn, directly to EZJ shareholders.
Warsh holds rates at first Fed meeting; traders lift October hike bets
Kevin Warsh kept interest rates unchanged at the June 2026 Federal Reserve meeting, his first as chair. Following the decision, traders increased bets on a rate increase at the October 2026 meeting, per Bloomberg Markets.
Kospi falls 10%; Nasdaq 100 loses $1.3 trillion over two days
South Korea's Kospi fell 10% on 23 June 2026 in its worst single session since March 2020, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix leading losses; Nasdaq 100 constituents lost approximately $1.3 trillion in combined market capitalisation over the two-day period ending 24 June 2026.
NESO declares UK electricity supplies secure amid Iran conflict disruptions
NESO's head of resilience stated on 23 June 2026 that UK domestic electricity supplies would remain secure over winter, citing resilience against Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. No market price movements were reported in response.
Japan June PMI composite hits three-month high; input costs surge
Japan's flash June 2026 composite PMI rose to 52.5, a three-month high, as manufacturing reached 54.9 and services improved to 51.8; input costs rose to their strongest level since July 2022, and manufacturing payrolls expanded at their fastest pace in over eight years.
SpaceX shares fell below IPO price; $600bn market value erased
SpaceX equity on Nasdaq declined below its IPO closing price by 22 June 2026, with cumulative losses reaching approximately $600 billion over three trading days, approaching its IPO low of $149.34. SpaceX concurrently launched a $25 billion bond offering across five tranches.
Rystad flags structural drop in China crude imports amid EV shift
Rystad Energy characterised a reduction in China's crude oil import demand as structural rather than cyclical, citing accelerating EV adoption; Bloomberg Markets reported Iran-related conflict had compounded pressure on Chinese import volumes.
US futures fell and 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.483%
US stock index futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq declined during Sunday trading on 21 June 2026, while the 10-year US Treasury yield rose more than 3 basis points to 4.483% as markets reopened on 22 June 2026, ahead of a scheduled inflation data release.
Meta invests $900m in Cred; Kunal Shah to lead WhatsApp
Meta Platforms is acquiring a roughly 20% stake in Indian fintech Cred for $900 million at a $4.5 billion post-money valuation, with Cred founder Kunal Shah named as the new global head of WhatsApp.
Apple faces £3bn UK iCloud trial after CAT clears Which? claim
The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal has certified a £3bn class action brought by Which? against Apple over iCloud, potentially covering around 40 million UK users.