U.S. seizes Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursu...
Samsung Electronics, the global leader in memory chips, smartphones, and televisions, has released its fourth-quarter operating profit estimate, revealing a significant shortfall compared to analyst expectations. The South Korean tech giant reported an estimated operating profit of 6.5 trillion won.
Samsung's fourth quater results, although a remarkable 131% increase from the same period last year, missed the consensus estimate of 7.7 trillion won, as projected by LSEG SmartEstimate.
The disappointing earnings were attributed to a number of factors, including Samsung’s struggles in the high-end chip market, where it faced fierce competition from rival SK Hynix. The company has been notably lagging behind SK Hynix in supplying premium chips to Nvidia, a key player in the semiconductor industry. Nvidia's demand for advanced chips, particularly those used in data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, has surged in recent months, but Samsung has not kept pace with its competitors.
Samsung's business of designing and contract manufacturing logic chips also experienced a downturn during the quarter. The slowdown in global smartphone demand, combined with lower factory utilization rates and rising research and development costs, contributed to the overall decline in earnings from this segment. These challenges are particularly evident in the mobile industry, where demand has remained sluggish due to economic uncertainties and changing consumer preferences.
While Samsung’s estimated Q4 profit is still substantially higher than last year’s figures, it marks a significant decline of 29% from the previous quarter. This drop in earnings highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Samsung’s semiconductor business, which has long been a major driver of the company's overall profitability. The slowdown in chip demand, coupled with intense competition from other memory chipmakers, has put pressure on Samsung's market position in recent months.
Despite the disappointing earnings report, Samsung’s shares initially dropped by 1% in early trading following the announcement. However, they later rebounded and rose more than 1%, suggesting that investors remain cautiously optimistic about the company's future prospects, particularly in the long term.
Samsung's ability to regain momentum in its semiconductor business will be crucial to its overall performance in 2025. As competition in the chip industry intensifies, Samsung will need to adapt to changing market dynamics and invest in new technologies to stay competitive. The company’s ability to meet the growing demand for high-end chips, especially those used in AI and data centers, will play a pivotal role in shaping its financial outlook in the coming months.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
President Ilham Aliyev said 2025 has politically closed the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as a Trump-era reset in U.S. ties, new transport corridors and a push into AI, renewables and defence production reshape Azerbaijan’s priorities.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
Shares of major U.S. oil and energy companies surged on Monday even as crude prices showed little movement, revealing a growing divergence between energy equities and the underlying commodities market.
U.S. oil major Chevron and private equity firm Quantum Capital Group are reportedly preparing a joint bid to acquire Lukoil’s international assets, as the sanctioned Russian energy company seeks to divest its overseas operations.
The U.S. dollar's share of global reserves fell to nearly 40% at the end of 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which says it's 10% lower than at the start of 2024. However, gold has risen and overtaken the dollar to be above 50% in global reserves according to the IMF data.
The U.S. dollar has strengthened against major peers on Tuesday, while the euro fell following slower-than-expected inflation in Europe. Market movements were relatively subdued as investors focused on upcoming U.S. economic data.
Wall Street closed higher on Tuesday, boosted by optimism over artificial intelligence (AI) and a strong rally in Moderna shares, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average approaching a record high.
India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has taken a significant step towards diversifying its crude oil supply by purchasing Colombian crude, from state oil company Ecopetrol, for the first time.
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