News World That's Worth

  Progress in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine continues to be closely watched after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last weekend that Kyiv is willing to relinquish its NATO ambitions to secure a deal to end the war. The European Aerospace and Defense industry stock index closed down 1.8%, with Swedish defense company Saab closing down 4.8%. Germany's Rheinmetall and Renk shares fell 4.5% and 4.3% respectively, and were among the biggest losers in Europe on Tuesday.

  When SpaceX eventually goes public, the long-awaited offering is expected to be the biggest IPO ever, transforming the value of the aerospace industry and creating a rare blockbuster deal for Wall Street. The space launch company led by Elon Musk is reportedly preparing for a public market debut as early as next year, reportedly targeting a valuation of around $1.5 trillion. This would potentially shatter the IPO record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019. The immediate winners are already clear: the cohort of private investors, publicly listed space industry companies, and the investment banks vying to take SpaceX public.

  Copper prices have surged this year, hitting multiple record highs, fueled by supply disruptions and concerns over potential US import tariffs, which led to heightened demand. This rally is expected to continue well into 2026. Analysts at Citi predict a significant upward spike in copper prices driven by strengthening demand, led primarily by the energy transition and Artificial Intelligence (AI) sectors. Electrification, grid expansion, and the construction of data centers all require substantial amounts of copper for wiring, current transmission, and cooling infrastructure.

  China 's economy slowed sharply in November, with consumption, investment, and industrial output growing less than anticipated, as authorities struggled to manage supply, revive demand, and halt the decline in the property sector. Retail sales rose by 1.3% last month compared to the same period a year ago, significantly lower than the 2.8% projected by Reuters and a deceleration from 2.9% in the prior month. Industrial production increased by 4.8% in November year-on-year, falling short of the 5% forecast and marking the weakest growth since August 2024.

  Itaú Unibanco Holding SA, Latin America's largest privately held bank, has advised clients to allocate up to 3% of their portfolios to Bitcoin for 2026. The bank views cryptocurrency not as a speculative asset, but as a hedge against the depreciation of the Brazilian real. In a strategic memo, analysts at the São Paulo-based bank stated that investors face a dual challenge from global price uncertainty and domestic currency volatility. They argued that this situation requires a new approach to portfolio construction. The bank recommends a Bitcoin weighting of 1% to 3% in portfolios to achieve returns independent of the domestic economic cycle.

 The market is preparing for a potentially crucial week for Bitcoin as the Bank of Japan ( BOJ ) heads towards its December 18-19 policy meeting, with a rate hike widely anticipated. Both market predictors and macroeconomic analysts agree that Japan is poised for a 25 basis point increase. This hike could impact not only the domestic bond market but also risky assets globally, particularly Bitcoin. If this happens, Japan will have a policy interest rate of 75 basis points, a level not seen in nearly two decades. While this figure may seem small by global standards, the change is significant given Japan's long-standing role as a source of low-cost financing globally. Past events are causing concern in the Bitcoin market.