Category: 3. Business

  • PM derives delight from PSX surge – Business Recorder

    1. PM derives delight from PSX surge  Business Recorder
    2. Historic run continues: KSE-100 settles above 179,000  Business Recorder
    3. PSX scales yet another new high  Dawn
    4. PSX tops 179,000 as equities extend rally  The Express Tribune
    5. PSX gains 2,301 points to close at 176,355  The Nation (Pakistan )

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  • 1H trade deficit swells to USD19.20bn: Dec exports fall 20.41pc YoY, 4.26pc MoM – Business Recorder

    1. 1H trade deficit swells to USD19.20bn: Dec exports fall 20.41pc YoY, 4.26pc MoM  Business Recorder
    2. Exports plunge over 20pc in December  Dawn
    3. Trade deficit widens to $19b  The Express Tribune
    4. Pakistan’s Trade Deficit Worsens By 34.6% in First Half of FY26  ProPakistani
    5. Pakistan’s exports decline 20.41% in December, marking fifth consecutive month of negative growth  Profit by Pakistan

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  • Open market rates of foreign currencies – Business Recorder

    1. Open market rates of foreign currencies  Business Recorder
    2. Rupee inches up against US dollar  Business Recorder
    3. Foreign exchange rates in Pakistan for today, January 02, 2025  Profit by Pakistan
    4. Currency Exchange Rates in Pakistan Today – Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal to PKR – 2 January 2026  Daily Pakistan
    5. Rupee gains 1.8pc in July-December  Dawn

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  • Deceptive marketing: CCP slaps Rs150m fine on Mezan Beverages – Business Recorder

    1. Deceptive marketing: CCP slaps Rs150m fine on Mezan Beverages  Business Recorder
    2. CCP penalises Mezan Beverages Rs150m for misleading branding  Mettis Global
    3. PepsiCo prevails in Pakistan energy drink battle  ICLG.com
    4. Mezan Beverages fined Rs150mn for imitating Pepsi’s Sting energy drink  Business Recorder
    5. CCP fines Mezan Beverages Rs150m for copying PepsiCo’s Sting  The Express Tribune

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  • Trump blocks HieFo’s acquisition of Emcore semiconductor assets – Investing.com

    1. Trump blocks HieFo’s acquisition of Emcore semiconductor assets  Investing.com
    2. Trump blocks chips deal, cites security, China-related concerns  Reuters
    3. Trump orders Chinese-controlled firm to unwind chip asset deal, citing national security risks  CNBC
    4. US’ divestment order on HieFo’s acquisition of Emcore assets highlights anxiety, harms its innovation: expert  Global Times
    5. Trump blocks Emcore’s chip deal with HieFo, citing national security concerns  MLex

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  • Which company sells the most electric vehicles? – Deseret News

    Which company sells the most electric vehicles? – Deseret News

    • China’s BYD became world’s leading EV maker in 2025
    • Elon Musk-owned Tesla marks second straight year of sales declines
    • In spite of sales data, Tesla is still a hit with investors

    After years of dominating the global electric vehicle market, Tesla, Inc. was toppled by Chinese EV giant BYD in 2025. BYD outsold the Elon Musk-owned maker by over half a million vehicles last year.

    BYD’s annual sales figures were released Friday, just one day after Tesla shared fourth quarter data showing the U.S. company’s vehicle sales declined some 16% in the last three months of the year and were down around 8% for all of 2025. While Tesla reports vehicle deliveries versus actual sales, the volume figure marks the second straight year of declines for the Tesla, which launched in 2003 and delivered its first vehicle in 2008.

    Tesla reported delivering 1.64 million vehicles in 2025 against BYD’s sales of 2.26 million vehicles. Global electric vehicles sales were up over 20% in the first 11 months of 2025 and BYD says its sales for the year jumped by 28% over 2024.

    Tesla saw a surge in sales in the third quarter of 2025 as U.S. buyers scrambled to make purchases before a long-running federal tax credit program worth $7,500 on new vehicles came to an end, but the rest of the year saw declining interest in the vehicles.

    Sales dropped but Tesla still gaining value

    In spite of the dismal EV sales figures, Tesla stock ended the year up some 11%, driven by investor confidence that the company’s other endeavors, which included developing fully autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots, bode well for Tesla’s future prospects.

    “Investors are so focused on the future with Tesla that they are ignoring delivery numbers,” Dennis Dick, a trader at Triple D Trading, which owns Tesla shares, told Reuters on Friday. “It’s about Optimus, Robotaxi and physical AI.”

    Back in October, Tesla unveiled new, cheaper models of its Model Y crossover SUV and Model 3 sedan, two of the world’s best-selling vehicles.

    Tesla has long touted plans to bring cheaper EV models to market and the move may have been driven by the end of the federal EV tax credit program, nixed in President Donald Trump’s budget for fiscal year 2026, which began Oct. 1.

    Public perception of Musk’s once-close relationship with the president, and his actions as the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, have soured some consumers on the Tesla brand while competition from both domestic and international electric vehicle makers has eroded the company’s market lead.

    Industry watchers also point to Tesla’s stale model offerings, and lack of interest in the company’s Cybertruck, as factors behind the brand’s fall from dominance.

    Some analysts point to Musk’s close personal association with the Tesla brand as a plus for those who view his actions outside the company as positive, but it’s also one that can have adverse consequences if those activities are viewed by potential customers in a negative light.

    “Tesla has played a pivotal role in accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, but our findings show that Elon Musk’s personal involvement in Tesla’s brand appears to be polarizing, pushing many buyers to look elsewhere,” said Ginny Buckley, chief executive of Electrifying.com, per a Newsweek report earlier this year.

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  • Accelerating Scientific Discovery With AI

    Accelerating Scientific Discovery With AI

    The Genesis Mission is a national initiative that aligns with America’s AI Action Plan and is spearheaded by the Department of Energy, with coordination across the federal government.

    What Is the DOE’s Genesis Mission For?

    The program’s objective is to advance scientific discovery, engineering and innovation through the use of artificial intelligence and advanced computing. As a coordinated national effort, the Genesis Mission strengthens research and development to support the nation’s technological capability, global competitiveness, energy security and national defense.

    Don’t miss the most essential government-industry gathering for AI: Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit, happening March 19!

    Who Are the DOE’s Partners for Genesis?

    The initiative unites the Energy Department’s 17 national laboratories, along with partners in industry and academia, to create a secure, integrated scientific discovery platform that connects leading supercomputers, data resources, advanced AI and quantum systems, and scientific instruments to address priority national science and technology challenges. The effort draws on expertise across the federal government, including approximately 40,000 DOE scientists, engineers, technical staff and specialists from the private sector.

    PNNL, NNSA & ORNL

    The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a key partner in the DOE’s Genesis Mission. PNNL is developing AI-driven capabilities for autonomous discovery in chemistry, materials and biology, faster environmental permitting and secure energy grids. The National Nuclear Security Administration will focus on classified AI development, data management and advanced model capabilities, while the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is advancing the Genesis Mission with two new computing systems, Discovery and Lux, which accelerate AI-driven research and support the development of the American Science Cloud.

    Berkeley Lab

    With its history of advancing computational science, mathematics, and data analysis, laying the foundations for modern artificial intelligence and machine learning, Berkeley Lab plays a key role in the Genesis Mission, leading projects such as Multi-Office particle Accelerator Team, or MOAT, Synergistic Neutron and Photon Autonomous Science – Imaging, or SYNAPS-I, and Orchestrated Platform for Autonomous Laboratories to Accelerate AI-Driven BioDesign or OPAL.

    An initial 24 organizations signed collaboration agreements with the department, establishing public-private partnerships aimed at developing scalable AI capabilities and shared infrastructure for R&D. Among the private sector partners are Anthropic, Oracle and NVIDIA.

    Anthropic

    DOE’s multi-year partnership with Anthropic focuses on areas including energy systems, biological and life sciences, and research productivity, with the potential to support work across the national laboratories. As part of the collaboration, Anthropic provides AI tools and technical expertise to help researchers connect models with scientific data, instruments, and workflows, building on prior collaborations with DOE to advance AI-enabled scientific research.

    Oracle

    Oracle and the DOE entered into a non-binding agreement to accelerate current and future AI and advanced computing initiatives, including the Genesis Mission. The collaboration supports the development of domestic computing and data capabilities, responsible AI practices, and an integrated platform that connects advanced computing systems, experimental facilities and datasets across research domains.

    NVIDIA

    NVIDIA is also participating as a private-sector partner in the Genesis Mission through a memorandum of understanding with the department. The partnership builds on existing efforts in areas such as open AI science models, AI-driven manufacturing and supply chain processes, nuclear energy, quantum computing, robotics, and materials and biological sciences.

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  • Chip Wilson’s $73.4M mansion once again tops the list of B.C.’s highest valued homes

    Chip Wilson’s $73.4M mansion once again tops the list of B.C.’s highest valued homes

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    Home values in B.C.’s Lower Mainland are decreasing, and pricey properties are not immune.

    The province’s top 10 most expensive residential properties, including ritzy mansions replete with pools and tennis courts and a private island acreage with a golf course, all fell in value in this year’s list.

    Most of those homes are located in the Lower Mainland: eight are in Vancouver, one on the West Vancouver waterfront, and one a private Gulf Island.

    B.C. Assessment, the Crown corporation that appraises properties, announced the 2026 property assessments in a news release Friday.

    The assessments reflect market values as of July 1, 2025.

    Notices will be mailed to property owners, and members of the public can also look up assessments on the B.C. Assessment website.

    Top 3 most expensive B.C. properties in 2025

    1. The Kitsilano abode of Lululemon founder Chip Wilson at 3085 Point Grey Rd., which has topped the list of the province’s most valuable homes since 2014, was assessed at $73,457,000 for 2025.

    The seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home decreased in value by 11 per cent over last year’s $82,664,000 assessment.

    A waterfront mansion is highlighted
    Wilson’s waterfront home at 3085 Point Grey Rd. in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood is valued at $73,457,000, according to B.C. Assessment. (Google Earth)

    2. A 10-bedroom, 16-bathroom home at 4707 Belmont Ave. in Vancouver’s Point Grey neighbourhood has been valued at $69,878,000.

    The home, overlooking Vancouver’s stunning Spanish Banks, decreased in value by 2.59 per cent.

    An overhead view of a large mansion
    B.C.’s second-most valuable home is this home near Spanish Banks in Vancouver. (Google Earth)

    3. Assessed at $57,096,000, James Island, a 311-hectare private island about a kilometre east of the Saanich Peninsula, is the third most valuable property in the province.

    Previous real estate estate listings for the island showed the property includes a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, white sand beaches and six cottages.

    A Google Earth image from above of a small Gulf Island labelled James Island in the foreground and the shores of Saanichton and North Saanich labelled in the background
    James Island in the Gulf of Georgia is again the third highest valued property in B.C. (Google Earth)

    The acreage fell in value by 0.75 per cent — or $430,000.

    B.C.’s three most valuable properties have remained unchanged in ranking since at least 2017.

    Top values outside of the Lower Mainland

    Aside from James Island, the top valued property outside of the Lower Mainland was an acreage in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island, about 20 kilometres northwest of Nanaimo. 1365 Dorcas Point Rd. was valued at $20,573,000, making it the 75th most expensive home in all of B.C.

    The most expensive property in B.C.’s North was a $4,703,000 acreage at 6653 Lakeshore Dr. in the Peace River region, about 220 kilometres northeast of Prince George.

    And in the Southern Interior, the priciest property was a single-family home valued at $14,771,000 in the District of Lake Country at 12990 Pixton Rd. It ranked No. 239 on B.C.’s list of 500 top valued homes.

    An aerial view of a waterfront mansion with a pool and dock coming off the shore
    The Lake Country property at 12990 Pixton Rd. was the most expensive property in B.C.’s Southern Interior in 2025, according to B.C. Assessment. (Google Earth)

    Values decrease in Lower Mainland, vary elsewhere

    B.C. Assessment said many homeowners in the Lower Mainland can expect some decreases in assessed value, ranging between -10 per cent to zero per cent, according to assessor Bryan Murao.

    There are fewer changes and flatter values on Vancouver Island and in the Southern Interior, from -5 per cent to +5 per cent, while assessments in the North and the Kootenays can vary from -5 per cent to +15 per cent, Murao said in the release.

    B.C. Assessment appraised more than 2.2 million homes in 2025, about a one per cent increase from 2025, with the value totalling $2.75 trillion, a decrease of almost 2.5 per cent from last year.

    WATCH | Historic low for home sales in Greater Vancouver:

    Greater Vancouver home sales drop to 25-year low

    B.C. Real Estate Association chief economist Brendon Ogmundson tells CBC’s Stephen Quinn that there will be a 16 per cent drop in house sales in 2025 in the Greater Vancouver area, compared to 2024, and that while most markets in Canada and B.C. have recovered from the impacts of U.S. tariffs, it hasn’t yet happened in Vancouver.

    Hasan Juma, a real estate agent with Oakwyn Realty, said in an interview that he had spoken to a number of homeowners already who were experiencing sticker shock, having seen their assessed value decrease.

    He said the drop in average values in the Lower Mainland was expected among those in the real estate world, given analysts have said for months that it is a buyer’s market.

    “It’s possible the gap gets larger between what a buyer is willing to pay and, you know, what a seller is willing to accept,” Juma said.

    WATCH | Metro Vancouver could be a housing buyer’s market:

    Metro Vancouver housing market looking good for buyers: analyst

    A recent advertisement from a Surrey real estate agent which touted a 25 per cent discount on a housing unit highlights how buyers have an advantage in the current Metro Vancouver housing market. Mark Ting, a partner with Foundation Wealth and On The Coast’s personal finance columnist, says that the trend of housing prices going down may be sustained.

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  • PROSPERITY BANCSHARES, INC.® COMPLETES MERGER WITH AMERICAN BANK HOLDING CORPORATION

    PROSPERITY BANCSHARES, INC.® COMPLETES MERGER WITH AMERICAN BANK HOLDING CORPORATION

    HOUSTON, Jan. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.® (“Prosperity”) (NYSE: PB), the parent company of Prosperity Bank®, today announced the completion of the merger of American Bank Holding Corporation. (“American”) with and into Prosperity and the merger of American’s wholly owned subsidiary, American Bank, N.A. (“American Bank”), headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas, with and into Prosperity Bank, all effective on January 1, 2026.

    Under the terms of the merger agreement between Prosperity and American, Prosperity issued 4,439,981 shares of Prosperity common stock to the former shareholders and award holders of American.

    Stephen Raffaele, former Director and President of American and CEO and former President of American Bank, has joined Prosperity Bank as South Texas and San Antonio Area Chairman and Ben Wallace, former American Bank Chairman, has joined Prosperity Bank as South Texas Senior Chairman. Additional members of American Bank management will maintain leadership roles in the combined organization. In addition, Mr. Raffaele and Patt Hawn Wallace, former Chair of American and a former Director of American Bank, have joined the Board of Directors of Prosperity Bank.

    American Bank operated eighteen (18) banking offices and two (2) loan production offices in South and Central Texas including its main office in Corpus Christi, and banking offices in San Antonio, Austin, Victoria and the greater Corpus Christi area including Port Aransas and Rockport and a loan production office in Houston, Texas. American Bank banking locations will continue to operate under the American Bank name until the operational integration, which is scheduled for September 2026. At that time, American Bank customers may begin using any of Prosperity Bank’s full service banking centers.

    About Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. ®

    As of September 30, 2025, Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.® is a $38.330 billion Houston, Texas based regional financial holding company providing personal banking services and investments to consumers and businesses throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Founded in 1983, Prosperity believes in a community banking philosophy, taking care of customers, businesses and communities in the areas it serves by providing financial solutions to simplify everyday financial needs. In addition to offering traditional deposit and loan products, Prosperity offers digital banking solutions, credit and debit cards, mortgage services, retail brokerage services, trust and wealth management, and treasury management.

    As of September 30, 2025, Prosperity operated 283 full-service banking locations: 62 in the Houston area, including The Woodlands; 33 in the South Texas area including Corpus Christi and Victoria; 61 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area; 22 in the East Texas area; 31 in the Central Texas area including Austin and San Antonio; 45 in the West Texas area including Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Abilene, Amarillo and Wichita Falls; 15 in the Bryan/College Station area; 6 in the Central Oklahoma area; and 8 in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.

    Cautionary Notes on Forward-Looking Statements 

    “Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. From time to time, oral or written forward-looking statements may also be included in information released to the public. Such forward-looking statements are typically, but not exclusively, identified by the use in the statements of words or phrases such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “guidance,” “intend,” “is anticipated,” “is expected,” “is intended,” “objective,” “plan,” “projected,” “projection,” “will affect,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will decrease,” “will grow,” “will impact,” “will increase,” “will incur,” “will reduce,” “will remain,” “will result,” “would be,” variations of such words or phrases (including where the word “could,” “may,” or “would” is used rather than the word “will” in a phrase) and similar words and phrases indicating that the statement addresses some future result, occurrence, plan or objective. Forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact, including forecasts or trends, and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about Prosperity Bancshares and its subsidiaries. These forward-looking statements may include information about Prosperity’s possible or assumed future economic performance or future results of operations, including future revenues, income, expenses, provision for loan losses, provision for taxes, effective tax rate, earnings per share and cash flows and Prosperity’s future capital expenditures and dividends, future financial condition and changes therein, including changes in Prosperity’s loan portfolio and allowance for loan losses, changes in deposits, borrowings and the investment securities portfolio, future capital structure or changes therein, as well as the plans and objectives of management for Prosperity’s future operations, future or proposed acquisitions, including the integration of American, the future or expected effect of acquisitions on Prosperity’s operations, results of operations, financial condition, and future economic performance, statements about the anticipated benefits of each of the proposed transactions, and statements about the assumptions underlying any such statement. These forward‑looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on expectations and assumptions Prosperity currently believes to be valid. Because forward-looking statements relate to future results and occurrences, many of which are outside of Prosperity’s control, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to whether Prosperity can: successfully identify acquisition targets and integrate the businesses of acquired companies and banks, including American; continue to sustain its current internal growth rate or total growth rate; provide products and services that appeal to its customers; continue to have access to debt and equity capital markets; and achieve its sales objectives. Other risks include, but are not limited to: the possibility that credit quality could deteriorate; actions of competitors; changes in laws and regulations (including changes in governmental interpretations of regulations and changes in accounting standards); the possibility that the anticipated benefits of an acquisition transaction, including American, are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of American or as a result of the strength of the economy and competitive factors generally; a deterioration or downgrade in the credit quality and credit agency ratings of the securities in Prosperity’s securities portfolio; customer and consumer demand, including customer and consumer response to marketing; effectiveness of spending, investments or programs; fluctuations in the cost and availability of supply chain resources; economic conditions, including currency rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations; and weather. Prosperity disclaims any obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments. These and various other factors are discussed in Prosperity’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other reports and statements Prosperity has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Copies of the SEC filings for Prosperity may be downloaded from the Internet at no charge from http://www.prosperitybankusa.com.

    SOURCE Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.

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  • G1-G2 Watches in Place for 03-04 Jan – NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (.gov)

    1. G1-G2 Watches in Place for 03-04 Jan  NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (.gov)
    2. A blazing 2026 ahead: Earth to be hit by massive explosion from Sun today  India Today
    3. Powerful magnetic storm to hit Ukraine on January 3: how to protect your health  112.ua
    4. Earth-directed CME from M4.2 flare forecast to produce G1 geomagnetic storm on New Year’s Day  The Watchers – Watching the world evolve and transform
    5. Double blast from sun hits Earth: Will auroras beat the Wolf supermoon glare?  MSN

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