Author: Olumide Adesina

Olumide Adesina is a French-born Nigerian financial writer. He tracks the financial markets with over 15 years of working experience in investment trading.

Major Blow to Meta — China Forces Reversal of $2B AI Startup Takeover

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

China has decided to prohibit Meta Platforms Inc. from its $2 billion purchase of the agentic AI startup Manus, an unexpected move to end a contentious agreement that has drawn criticism over technology leaks to the US. In a brief statement on Monday, the National Development and Reform Commission issued an order to cancel the agreement.

Meta Rebounds on Earnings, Though Spending Outlook Keeps Investors Cautious

Without providing further details, the influential state planner stated in a one-line notice that it has decided to forbid foreign investment in the startup in compliance with laws and regulations.

The decision, which surfaced weeks before a high-profile summit between US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping, is expected to send a chill through China’s rapidly developing AI industry. Following the mostly finalized deal, Beijing has increased its scrutiny of important industry companies.

Although domestic critics have since bemoaned the loss of valuable technology to a geopolitical rival, the sale was initially praised as a model for startups with global aspirations.

The founders of Manus began in China, but in 2025, they moved their main office and important employees to Singapore. When the agreement was made public in December, it was unclear whether Beijing would use its power over a transaction that, in theory, happened outside of its borders.

According to Ke Yan, a tech analyst with DZT Research in Singapore, “the Manus block is a clarifying moment.”. “Manus was pulled back even though its founders were based in Singapore and it was incorporated here. Beijing’s message is that the location of the legal entity is not important. “As Meta looks to compete in AI against rivals from Microsoft Corp., the Manus decree may be a setback.” and Alphabet Inc., Google to Anthropic PBC and OpenAI. Manus was meant to assist Meta in taking the lead in the rapidly evolving field of AI agents, or services that employ AI to carry out tasks.

US Government Accuses DeepSeek of Stealing American AI Tech

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

The US State Department has ordered a global campaign to draw attention to what it claims are widespread attempts by Chinese businesses, including AI startup DeepSeek, to steal intellectual property from US AI labs.

 

“Warn of the risks of utilizing AI models distilled from US proprietary AI models, and lay the groundwork for potential follow-up and outreach by the US government,” according to the cable.

Distillation is the process of training smaller AI models using output from larger ones to reduce the cost of training a potent new AI tool. China’s increasing independence in the field was highlighted on Friday when DeepSeek, the Chinese startup whose low-cost AI model stunned the world last year, unveiled a sneak peek of a highly anticipated new model tailored for Huawei chip technology

Chinese AI companies Moonshot AI and MiniMax were also mentioned in the cable. Beijing “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights,” according to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, which referred to the White House’s similar accusations this week as “baseless allegations.”.

The cable instructs diplomatic personnel to discuss “concerns over adversaries’ extraction and distillation of US AI models” with their foreign counterparts. It was sent to diplomatic and consular posts worldwide on Friday.

According to the document, “a separate demarche request and message has been sent to Beijing for raising with China.” The unreported cable indicates that the Trump administration is paying attention to worries about the Chinese distillation of US AI models. “Foreign actors can release products that seem to perform comparably on specific benchmarks at a fraction thanks to AI models developed from covert, unauthorized distillation campaigns.”.

Gold Bullion Stabilizes as Iran Peace Talks Gain Traction

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Gold saw a slight decline as traders considered the most recent attempts by the US and Iran to reach a negotiated resolution to the two-month conflict that has stifled energy supplies and increased inflation risks.

 

Bullion was trading near $4,670 per ounce after falling 0.6 percent on Monday. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, US President Donald Trump called a meeting of national security officials to discuss Iran’s most recent peace proposal, but maintained red lines on any agreement to end the conflict.

The remarks came after reports that Tehran had suggested a temporary agreement in which Washington would lift its blockade of ships traveling to and from Iranian ports in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.  Oil product flows have been choked off by the standoff, and daily transits via the strategic waterway have almost zeroed.

Additionally, the Iranian proposal would delay more intricate discussions regarding the nation’s nuclear program. In a note, Marc Loeffert, a trader at Heraeus Precious Metals, stated that the ceasefire’s indefinite extension “prolongs market uncertainty” because Hormuz is blocked.

He stated, “The combination of economic stagnation and rising prices could provide fertile ground for the gold bull market to continue in the long run.”. This week, traders will be monitoring interest rate decisions made in the US, the UK, the EU, and Canada. The Bank of Japan maintained its benchmark rate at 0.75 percent earlier on Tuesday, despite a split vote that suggested an increase.

Microsoft: MSFT Set to Crash Below $400 as OpenAI Ends Revenue Share Payments

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Microsoft (MSFT) shares decreased on Monday as the tech giant and OpenAI (OPENAI) announced that their partnership has continued to develop and that OpenAI’s license will become non-exclusive. Microsoft stated on its website, ”

Microsoft Slides on Buyout Plan as AI Costs and Margins Stay in Focus

Miss/soft guidance on Copilot slowdown, higher-for-longer CapEx, or AI returns → another leg down, possibly testing $400 or lower (support levels discussed around there). This risk is highlighted in some Reddit and analyst chatter following the stock’s decline below $400 per share.
MSFT stock has faced pressure in 2026 (down significantly YTD from highs), with analysts mixed on AI spending, competition, and growth outlook. Some see the dip as a buying opportunity.

Today, we are announcing an amended agreement to simplify our partnership and the way we work together, grounded in flexibility, certainty, and a focus on delivering the benefits of AI broadly.

The amended agreement’s increased predictability enhances our combined capacity to develop and run AI platforms at scale while giving both businesses the freedom to explore new prospects. Microsoft will be OpenAI’s main cloud partner under the revised agreement, and OpenAI products will launch first on Azure.

A change has been made, though, stating that OpenAI may look elsewhere if Microsoft “cannot and chooses not to support the necessary capabilities.” Julian Lin is the head of the Best of Breed Growth Stock investing group.

Additionally, OpenAI can offer all of its products to clients via any cloud provider, including Amazon Web Services (AMZN). Additionally, Microsoft will have a non-exclusive license to use OpenAI’s intellectual property for its models and products through 2032.

Amazon shares lost 0.8 percent in late morning trading, giving up earlier gains. As part of the revised agreement, Microsoft will no longer give OpenAI a revenue share; however, OpenAI will continue to pay Microsoft revenue shares through 2030.

China’s Record Silver Imports Crush Seasonal Norms, Sparking Bullish Surge

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

China’s silver imports hit a record high in March, well above the seasonal average amid the nation’s massive solar industry and retail demand. China, the world’s biggest consumer of silver, imported roughly 836 tons last month, continuing a strong run of inbound shipments this year, according to customs data.

 

Silver’s Violent Reset Gives Way to a Pivotal Macro Week

On the other hand, over the previous ten years, the March seasonal average has been roughly 306 tons. Retail investors are buying tiny silver bars in place of pricey gold, and solar manufacturers are front-loading production in preparation for the export tax rebates’ removal on April 1.

Analyst projections vary widely due to silver’s dual role (industrial and monetary metal), volatility, and sensitivity to macro factors like the strength of the USD, interest rates, and industrial activity. China’s record imports raise bullish pressure through physical tightness, even though they are a bit of an anomaly (solar front-loading is unlikely to repeat at this scale

(JP. Morgan, LBMA/Reuters poll): The average price per ounce is between $79 and $81 for the full year. The quarterly averages for Morgan are roughly $84 (Q1), $75 (Q2), $80 (Q3), and $85 (Q4). This is based on persistent shortages as well as some moderation of solar demand due to rising prices and substitution/thrifting.

The solar industry, which is primarily based in China, uses about one-fifth of the annual supply. It is unlikely that the high rate of imports will persist, though.

Traders shipped silver as strong demand drove Chinese prices well above global benchmarks to profit from the arbitrage opportunity.

A large portion of the metal passed through Hong Kong.  Non-yielding precious metals like silver and gold have seen their prices decline from their January highs amid worries about inflation caused by the Iran war’s energy crisis. Additionally, retail-driven demand, which comes after significant price momentum, has stagnated.

Beijing’s pledge to reduce overcapacity in the solar industry, which results in lower output, puts pressure on industrial use in China. Additionally, the industry may choose to replace less expensive base metals with silver due to persistently high prices.

Gold Enthusiasts Waver Amid Stalled US-Iran Peace Efforts

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Gold fluctuated as attempts to restart peace negotiations between the US and Iran stalled and energy flows via the Strait of Hormuz remained restricted two months into a conflict that has rocked international markets and increased the risk of inflation.

Bullion increased as much as 0.4 percent to $4,730 an ounce after Axios revealed that Iran had presented the US with a fresh proposal to reopen the strait while delaying talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, reversing an earlier decline.

Tehran stated that it will not engage in negotiations as long as it is under threat, while US President Donald Trump canceled a trip by his top envoys to resume peace talks in Islamabad over the weekend.

In the meantime, traders are evaluating the Federal Reserve’s approach to borrowing costs following US Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s announcement on Friday that she is abandoning an investigation into cost overruns at the US central bank, paving the way for Trump nominee Kevin Warsh to take over as chair.

Investors anticipate that Warsh will take a measured approach, lowering rates gradually, rather than implementing the drastic rate cuts that the president has called for. Approximately one-fifth of global oil flows have been disrupted in the Middle East due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A precarious ceasefire was largely maintained over the weekend, but Trump instructed his envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, to forgo their trip to Pakistan, which is mediating the negotiations.

Iran will not engage in “imposed negotiations under threats or blockade,” according to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The market has been conditioned by the “ceasefire-on/ceasefire-off” headline roulette, according to Shiels. Given that gold is currently acting like a risky asset, there is a negative correlation.

Nvidia Tops $5 Trillion, Intel’s Best Day Since 1987

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Nvidia’s shares closed at a record on Friday for the first time since October, as investors poured into the AI chip trade ahead of next week’s earnings from tech’s hyperscalers, pushing the company’s market cap over $5 trillion.

Nvidia's stock fell after their earnings report.

The stock closed at $208.27, up 4.3 percent.  NVIDIA has grown more than 14 times since the end of 2022 due to the skyrocketing demand for AI models and services.

Model developers OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, depend on Nvidia’s graphics processing units. Chipmaker Intel, which has largely stayed out of the AI market until recently, reported better-than-expected earnings late Thursday, spurring Friday’s rally.  Intel’s stock saw its best performance since 1987 with a 24% increase,

Qualcomm, a manufacturer of chips for mobile devices, increased 11%, while Advanced Micro Devices, a rival of Nvidia and Intel, increased 14%.  investors had been reducing their holdings of large-cap technology stocks because of the Iran War and rising oil prices,

However, technology has recently gained popularity, and there is no indication that the demand for AI infrastructure will decline. With a 15% increase in April, the Nasdaq is on track to have its best month since April 2020. Alphabet, a significant Nvidia client, has revealed new chips that will compete with Nvidia’s products when they become available to cloud users later this year. NVIDIA does face growing competition in AI.

US Government Accuses DeepSeek of Stealing American AI Tech

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

The US State Department has ordered a global campaign to draw attention to what it claims are widespread attempts by Chinese businesses, including AI startup DeepSeek, to steal intellectual property from US AI labs.

 

“Warn of the risks of utilizing AI models distilled from US proprietary AI models, and lay the groundwork for potential follow-up and outreach by the US government,” according to the cable.

Distillation is the process of training smaller AI models using output from larger ones to reduce the cost of training a potent new AI tool. China’s increasing independence in the field was highlighted on Friday when DeepSeek, the Chinese startup whose low-cost AI model stunned the world last year, unveiled a sneak peek of a highly anticipated new model tailored for Huawei chip technology

Chinese AI companies Moonshot AI and MiniMax were also mentioned in the cable. Beijing “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights,” according to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, which referred to the White House’s similar accusations this week as “baseless allegations.”.

The cable instructs diplomatic personnel to discuss “concerns over adversaries’ extraction and distillation of US AI models” with their foreign counterparts. It was sent to diplomatic and consular posts worldwide on Friday.

According to the document, “a separate demarche request and message has been sent to Beijing for raising with China.” The unreported cable indicates that the Trump administration is paying attention to worries about the Chinese distillation of US AI models. “Foreign actors can release products that seem to perform comparably on specific benchmarks at a fraction thanks to AI models developed from covert, unauthorized distillation campaigns.”.

China’s Record Silver Imports Smash Seasonal Norms, Igniting Bullish Outlook

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

China’s silver imports hit a record high in March, well above the seasonal average amid the nation’s massive solar industry and retail demand. China, the world’s biggest consumer of silver, imported roughly 836 tons last month, continuing a strong run of inbound shipments this year, according to customs data.

 

Silver’s Violent Reset Gives Way to a Pivotal Macro Week

On the other hand, over the previous ten years, the March seasonal average has been roughly 306 tons. Retail investors are buying tiny silver bars in place of pricey gold, and solar manufacturers are front-loading production in preparation for the export tax rebates’ removal on April 1.

Analyst projections vary widely due to silver’s dual role (industrial and monetary metal), volatility, and sensitivity to macro factors like the strength of the USD, interest rates, and industrial activity. China’s record imports raise bullish pressure through physical tightness, even though they are a bit of an anomaly (solar front-loading is unlikely to repeat at this scale

(JP. Morgan, LBMA/Reuters poll): The average price per ounce is between $79 and $81 for the full year. The quarterly averages for Morgan are roughly $84 (Q1), $75 (Q2), $80 (Q3), and $85 (Q4). This is based on persistent shortages as well as some moderation of solar demand due to rising prices and substitution/thrifting.

The solar industry, which is primarily based in China, uses about one-fifth of the annual supply. It is unlikely that the high rate of imports will persist, though.

Traders shipped silver as strong demand drove Chinese prices well above global benchmarks to profit from the arbitrage opportunity.

A large portion of the metal passed through Hong Kong.  Non-yielding precious metals like silver and gold have seen their prices decline from their January highs amid worries about inflation caused by the Iran war’s energy crisis.

Additionally, retail-driven demand, which comes after significant price momentum, has stagnated.

Beijing’s pledge to reduce overcapacity in the solar industry, which results in lower output, puts pressure on industrial use in China. Additionally, the industry may choose to replace less expensive base metals with silver due to persistently high prices.

Silver Eyes $84 as China’s Record March Imports Crush Seasonal Average

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

China’s silver imports hit a record high in March, well above the seasonal average amid the nation’s massive solar industry and retail demand. China, the world’s biggest consumer of silver, imported roughly 836 tons last month, continuing a strong run of inbound shipments this year, according to customs data.

 

Silver’s Violent Reset Gives Way to a Pivotal Macro Week

On the other hand, over the previous ten years, the March seasonal average has been roughly 306 tons. Retail investors are buying tiny silver bars in place of pricey gold, and solar manufacturers are front-loading production in preparation for the export tax rebates’ removal on April 1.

Analyst projections vary widely due to silver’s dual role (industrial and monetary metal), volatility, and sensitivity to macro factors like the strength of the USD, interest rates, and industrial activity. China’s record imports raise bullish pressure through physical tightness, even though they are a bit of an anomaly (solar front-loading is unlikely to repeat at this scale

(JP. Morgan, LBMA/Reuters poll): The average price per ounce is between $79 and $81 for the full year. The quarterly averages for Morgan are roughly $84 (Q1), $75 (Q2), $80 (Q3), and $85 (Q4). This is based on persistent shortages as well as some moderation of solar demand due to rising prices and substitution/thrifting.

The solar industry, which is primarily based in China, uses about one-fifth of the annual supply. It is unlikely that the high rate of imports will persist, though.

Traders shipped silver as strong demand drove Chinese prices well above global benchmarks to profit from the arbitrage opportunity.

A large portion of the metal passed through Hong Kong.  Non-yielding precious metals like silver and gold have seen their prices decline from their January highs amid worries about inflation caused by the Iran war’s energy crisis. Additionally, retail-driven demand, which comes after significant price momentum, has stagnated.

Beijing’s pledge to reduce overcapacity in the solar industry, which results in lower output, puts pressure on industrial use in China. Additionally, the industry may choose to replace less expensive base metals with silver due to persistently high prices.