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  • Study Suggests Dark Energy Weakening, Slowing Universe Expansion

    In the vast expanse of cosmology, few concepts have stirred as much intrigue and debate as dark energy. For over two decades, it has been the cornerstone explanation for the universe’s accelerating expansion, a mysterious force…

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  • UK launches critical minerals strategy to reduce dependency on China | Critical minerals

    UK launches critical minerals strategy to reduce dependency on China | Critical minerals

    Keir Starmer has announced a critical minerals and rare earths strategy to build resilience against China, which has a stranglehold on supplies of materials including magnets critical to everything from car doors to fridges.

    “For too long, Britain has been dependent on a handful of overseas suppliers, leaving our economy and national security exposed to global shocks,” the prime minister said.

    The critical minerals initiative comes with a £50m fund to boost production at tungsten and lithium mines in Cornwall. Europe’s largest deposits of lithium are in Cornwall, and the EU singled out the county’s tungsten mine for potential financial support this summer.

    The strategy follows a six-week standoff between China and the EU over the supply of chips used in the car industry, underlining how Beijing is willing to use trade in critical materials for political purposes.

    The UK and the US are now battling to reduce their dependence on China, but the production of rare earths and critical minerals can take years and hundreds of millions of pounds in investment.

    Lithium supplies exist all over Europe, but the raw material needs to be refined into lithium hydroxide, a crystal-like ingredient used to create the charge in car batteries.

    Europe’s only lithium hydroxide refinery, in Germany, has taken five years to build and £150m in investment, showing the scale of the funding needed.

    Last week the EU’s industry commissioner, Stéphane Séjourné, conceded that the bloc was far behind the US, which he said had “a business department that buys stocks of critical materials” before everyone else. “They often buy them from under our noses,” he said.

    Earlier this year, Britain struck a minerals cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia aimed at bolstering supply chains, opening doors for British firms and drawing fresh investment into the UK. Rare-earth minerals are essential for smartphones and electric vehicles and increasingly crucial for building datacentres that power artificial intelligence.

    The UK’s strategy seeks to ensure no more than 60% of any one critical mineral comes from a single partner country by 2035, according to a statement.

    Starmer described critical minerals as “the backbone of modern life and our national security” and argued that boosting domestic production and recycling would help shield the economy and support efforts to lower living costs.

    The government said the UK currently produced 6% of its critical mineral needs domestically. Under the plan, it wants to expand domestic extraction and processing, with a particular focus on lithium, nickel, tungsten and rare earths. It aims to produce at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium in the UK by 2035.

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  • Exploring Valuation After Strong Year-to-Date Share Price Gains

    Exploring Valuation After Strong Year-to-Date Share Price Gains

    Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) stock has seen some movement recently, drawing interest from investors as they weigh the company’s latest returns and prospects. Let’s take a closer look at what is behind the shifts in performance.

    See our latest analysis for Lloyds Banking Group.

    Despite a dip over the past week, Lloyds Banking Group’s share price is still up significantly for the year, with impressive momentum driving a 58.3% year-to-date price return and a remarkable 68.1% one-year total shareholder return. This surge suggests growing confidence in the stock’s outlook, even as the pace of gains has moderated recently.

    If Lloyds’ strong run has you watching for the next potential outperformer, now is the perfect time to discover fast growing stocks with high insider ownership

    But is this surge just catching up to Lloyds’ fair value, or does the bank’s recent climb signal that future growth is already priced in? Could there still be a compelling buying opportunity, or is the market ahead of itself?

    Lloyds Banking Group’s narrative fair value estimate stands above the last close, suggesting upside potential if analysts’ long-range projections play out. The latest market enthusiasm aligns with expectations of stronger growth and returns.

    Lloyds’ significant progress in digital transformation, including expanding mobile-first services for 21 million users, rolling out a new digital remortgage journey, and leveraging AI innovation, continues to drive operating cost reductions and enhances efficiency. This positions the company to support sustained long-term margin expansion and higher earnings.

    Read the complete narrative.

    Want to know the drivers behind this valuation? The narrative hinges on a bold pivot in earnings quality, technology leadership, and rising profit margins. What happens next could reshape the story for shareholders. Curious about the financial leaps and market expectations behind this verdict? See the full narrative for the key assumptions that underpin the fair value calculation.

    Result: Fair Value of $0.94 (UNDERVALUED)

    Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what’s behind the forecasts.

    However, risks remain, including Lloyds’ heavy reliance on the UK economy and intensifying digital competition. Either of these factors could challenge the bank’s growth path.

    Find out about the key risks to this Lloyds Banking Group narrative.

    Looking beyond fair value estimates, Lloyds trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.8x. This is notably higher than both its UK bank peers at 10.6x and the broader European banks average of 9.8x. Compared to a fair ratio of 9.7x, Lloyds also appears more expensive. This raises questions about whether expectations have run too far ahead. Will the market eventually demand stronger growth to justify this premium?

    See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.

    LSE:LLOY PE Ratio as at Nov 2025

    If you want to take the story in your own direction, you can dive into the numbers and craft a new Lloyds narrative in just a few minutes. Start now: Do it your way

    A great starting point for your Lloyds Banking Group research is our analysis highlighting 2 key rewards and 2 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision.

    Don’t stop with Lloyds when you could be gaining an edge with fresh stock ideas others might miss. Power up your research now with these hand-picked opportunities:

    This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

    Companies discussed in this article include LLOY.L.

    Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

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  • World Boxing: Gennady Golovkin elected president of federation

    World Boxing: Gennady Golovkin elected president of federation

    Golovkin won the Olympic silver medal in the middleweight division at the 2004 Games in Athens.

    He also held world and Asian titles as an amateur before stepping up to the professional ranks, in which he held a middleweight world title and is…

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