Futures on the Nikkei Stock Exchange of Singapore opened down 175 points to 39,635.Guotai Junan: The rise of leading enterprises and the downward shift of costs are important features of the steel industry entering a new cycle. Guotai Junan issued a document saying that with the change of demand structure, the demand for plates has steadily increased, and the demand for high-end plates such as automobiles, household appliances, shipbuilding, offshore engineering and energy is strong. The added value and profit per ton of products brought by leading companies' active adjustment of product structure, accumulation of products, R&D drive, continuous capital expenditure and equipment investment have been significantly improved, gradually widening the gap with the industry average gross profit. When the industry is facing the marginal losses of most steel enterprises, leading companies still maintain a high profit level by relying on the cost advantages brought by product differences and management, and the rise and differentiation of industry leaders are emerging. On the other hand, with the gradual increase in the supply side and the difficulty in improving the demand side, iron ore has gradually entered a loose cycle, and the steel cost constraints are expected to gradually improve.Apple is reported to cooperate with Broadcom to develop AI chips, and TSMC's advanced process will welcome big orders again. On December 13, it was reported that Apple intends to invest in self-developed AI chips, jointly develop them with Broadcom, and produce them in TSMC's 3 nm process, and mass-produce them in 2026. The legal person is optimistic that after the development of Apple's self-developed AI chip is completed, the investment is expected, and TSMC's advanced process will usher in another big order. It is understood that Apple's current A-series processors for iPhone and M-series processors for Mac all adopt self-developed strategies, and are exclusively manufactured by TSMC. The legal person believes that once Apple's self-developed chips are extended to AI chips, the cooperation with TSMC will be closer. (Taiwan Province Economic Daily)
Rio Tinto will invest $2.5 billion to develop a new lithium mine in Argentina, and Rio Tinto Group plans to invest $2.5 billion to develop a new lithium mine in Argentina, which is a victory for Argentine President Javier Millay, who is trying to loosen the control of the economy and attract foreign investment. The British company said in an announcement on Thursday that it plans to build a processing plant with an annual output of 60,000 tons of lithium carbonate in Rincon mine. Subject to permission, the construction of the facility will begin in the middle of next year.Senior Advisor of Shi Pomao: Japan must be prepared for Trump tariffs. One of Japan's top security officials said that Japan needs to be prepared for the threat of US President-elect Trump to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and adjust the supply chain to reduce the collateral damage to Japanese enterprises. Akihisa Nagashima, national security adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shi Pomao, said that during his recent visit to the United States, he had a "frank" communication with Trump team members on tariff issues. "I realized that Japan must be ready for Trump to implement his plan," he said.The American medical insurance giant said that the suspect who assassinated its CEO was not a company customer. A spokesman for UnitedHealth Group said that Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing Brian Thompson, CEO of the company's United Health Care, was not a member of the company's insurance plan. Unitedhealth group said that Man Ghione and his mother were not members of United Health Insurance Company, and refuted the claim that the shooting incident was caused by dissatisfaction caused by his special experience in the company.
Futures on the Nikkei Stock Exchange of Singapore opened down 175 points to 39,635.Britain's GFK consumer confidence index was negative 17 in December, the highest since August, and negative 18 in November. The survey estimated that it was negative 18.Goldman Sachs expects the average price of iron ore to be 95 USD/ton in 2025 and 90 USD/ton in 2026.