Japan is increasing its budget support for chips and AI by almost four times. China is launching three major venture capital funds to invest in hard tech — from microchips and quantum technologies to neural interfaces. Nvidia has signed a licensing agreement with startup Groq. Read about these and other topics in our review of key events as of the morning of December 26.

Morning headlines: metals rally, Nvidia deal, and Japan's race for chips 


Production disruptions and risk of US duties add to pressure

The cost of copper exceeded $12,000 for the first time. The market is expecting the strongest growth since 2009

Suntory Beverage & Food Limited

The People's Bank of China keeps rates unchanged despite weak data and the lingering real estate crisis, while industrial and precious metals are hitting all-time highs. These and other topics are in our review of key events for the morning of December 22.

Highlights for the morning: China's central bank kept rates on hold, copper and gold hit records

ServiceNow, Inc.

China's retail sales growth posted its worst gain on record, barring the Covid-19 pandemic period. HBM Healthcare InvestmentsBank of Japan is preparing to start selling off JPY83 trillion worth of ETFs. AI solutions developer ServiceNow is in talks to buy cybersecurity startup Armis for $7 billion. These and other topics are covered in our review of key events for the morning of December 15.

Highlights for the morning: copper outlook, Japan's central bank prepares ETF sell-off and $7 bln deal

Copper prices, after four years of stagnation, began to rise in the last week and a half and reached record levels. Traditionally, demand for this metal, which is used in many items and sectors, from electrical wiring and batteries to construction, has been seen as an indication of the health of the global economy. Now it can also be used to judge the development of AI.

Copper was not an expensive metal. Because of AI and energy transition, it has become the "new gold"

Aluminum futures are considered a key indicator of global industrial activity

Oil, aluminum and copper rose in price on hopes of an end to the U.S. shutdown

Investment bank strategists expect the S&amp;P 500 index to add another 2% in the next three months

Goldman Sachs changes its equity stance to bullish amid low recession risk

Ero Copper Corp.

Freedom Broker has issued a short-term trade idea to buy shares of small-cap copper miner Ero Copper. The Freedom Broker analysts highlight the company's low production costs and expansion potential, calling it one of the most attractive “pure copper” plays as the global market heads into 2026 leaning more and more bullish.

Freedom Broker likes Ero Copper as a short-term trade on bullish copper outlook

Teck Resources Limited

Anglo American plc

The securities of both parties to the deal soared in value

In the mining sector, the largest merger in recent years. What's important for investors

The White House imposed duties only on copper semi-finished products, leaving the main import item unrestricted

U.S. copper prices collapse to a record due to Trump's unexpected softness on duties

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

Amazon.com, Inc.

Ford Motor Company

Daily review and forecast of events on the US stock market from&nbsp;Mikhail Denislamov, Deputy Director of Freedom Capital Markets Research.

Morning in New York: Trump escalates trade conflict


Microsoft Corporation

NVIDIA Corporation

Alphabet Inc.

Donald Trump has named a date to impose a 50 percent duty on copper and threatened Brazil with a similar rate. OpenAI is close to releasing an artificial intelligence browser to compete with Alphabet's market-dominating Google Chrome. Nvidia briefly joined the club of companies with capitalization above $4 trillion. These and other topics - in our review of key events for the morning of July 10.