Why the manager of a $2 billion fund is cooling off his European defense investments
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The Hill
12 minutes ago
- The Hill
Hong Kong's CK Hutchison seeks Chinese investor to join Panama Ports deal
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong conglomerate that's selling ports at the Panama Canal said Monday it may seek a Chinese investor to join a consortium of buyers, a move that could please Beijing but bring more U.S. scrutiny to the geopolitically fraught deal. CK Hutchison Holdings' initial plan to sell its port assets to a group that includes U.S. investment firm BlackRock Inc. pleased President Donald Trump, who has alleged that China interferes with the critical shipping lane's operations in Panama. However, they apparently angered Beijing and drew a review from Chinese anti-monopoly authorities. A Beijing-backed newspaper posted scathing commentaries about the deal, with one describing it as a betrayal of all Chinese. Beijing's offices overseeing Hong Kong affairs have reposted some of these commentaries, widely seen as an indication of Chinese leaders' stance. A Hutchison subsidiary has operated ports at both ends of the Panama Canal since 1997. After months of uncertainty brought by tensions between Washington and Beijing, Hutchison said in a statement that the exclusive negotiations period with the consortium has expired. However, it added 'the Group remains in discussions with members of the consortium with a view to inviting major strategic investor from the PRC to join as a significant member of the consortium,' referring to the People's Republic of China. It said they needed to change the membership of the consortium and the structure of the transaction for the deal to be able to pass reviews by 'all relevant authorities.' The awkward position Hutchison found itself in for months highlights the challenges Hong Kong business elites face in navigating Beijing's expectations of national loyalty, especially when relations between China and the United States are strained. Hong Kong has overhauled its electoral system to ensure the city is run by 'patriots.' CK Hutchison is owned by the family of Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing. It announced March 4 that it would sell all its shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and in Hutchison Port Group Holdings to the consortium that also includes BlackRock subsidiary Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the Mediterranean Shipping Company. In May, Hutchinson co-managing director, Dominic Lai told shareholders that Terminal Investment was the main investor. Its parent company is led by Italian shipping scion Diego Aponte, whose family reportedly has a longstanding relationship with Li's. The initial deal, valued at nearly $23 billion including $5 billion in debt, would have given the consortium control over 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at either end of the canal. That agreement also required approval from Panama's government. The deadline for their exclusive negotiation period ended on July 27.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Wall Street's Tom Lee Says This 'Most Hated' Rally Could Be A Fortune-Maker—And Bitcoin at $250K Isn't Out Of Reach
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. When Wall Street veteran Tom Lee speaks, investors listen. As head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, Lee has built a reputation for bold predictions and contrarian calls that often prove prescient. In a recent CNBC interview, the market strategist delivered a compelling case for why current market skepticism could create generational wealth opportunities—and why his eye-popping Bitcoin price target might not be as crazy as it sounds. The Recovery Everyone Loves to Hate Lee describes the market's recent rebound as the 'most hated V-shape bounce in history,' pointing to a critical disconnect between market performance and investor sentiment. During what he calls 'April tariff Armageddon,' fear of recession drove massive liquidations, leaving most investors underexposed when markets staged their dramatic recovery. Don't Miss: Be part of the breakthrough that could replace plastic as we know it— — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. This positioning creates an unusual dynamic: strong fundamentals meeting widespread skepticism. 'Most investors are currently underexposed,' Lee notes, suggesting significant upside potential as sentiment eventually catches up to reality. Why the Market Is Cheaper Than You Think Challenging the narrative that stocks have become dangerously overvalued, Lee presents compelling valuation data. Despite enduring what he characterizes as 'six extinction-like events' over the past six years—including COVID-19, supply chain disruptions, inflation surges, aggressive Fed rate hikes, Trump tariffs, and geopolitical tensions—S&P 500 earnings have actually grown. More surprisingly, the equity-weighted S&P multiple has compressed from approximately 17.6 times in 2019 to 16 times currently. This suggests the market has become cheaper even as earnings demonstrated remarkable resilience through unprecedented challenges. Trending: Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – . Apple's AI Ace in the Hole While much attention focuses on the 'Magnificent Seven' tech giants, Lee offers a contrarian take on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). He believes the iPhone maker has been 'quietly ready to pounce on AI' and will 'surprise people' with its approach. Drawing parallels to Apple's transformative but late entry into smartphones with the 2007 iPhone launch, Lee suggests that when Apple decides to 'play big in AI,' it will 'change the game.' He emphasizes Apple's competitive advantages in safety, privacy, and user experience optimization—particularly valuable if large language models become commoditized. The strategist also supports speculation around Apple's potential foldable phone launch this fall, noting that larger screens drive users toward 'computing and something much higher capability,' aligning with augmented reality applications in the AI era. The Stablecoin Revolution and Ethereum's Golden Opportunity Lee identifies stablecoins as the 'ChatGPT moment for crypto,' highlighting their growing adoption by businesses, consumers, and major financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) and Citigroup (NYSE:C). This trend creates significant opportunities for Ethereum, which hosts the majority of stablecoins and generates over 30% of its network fees from this Ethereum approaching a $4 trillion market valuation, Lee sees substantial upside. While technical analysis suggests near-term targets around $5,000, he believes valuation metrics similar to Circle could justify prices between $10,000 and $20,000. The $250K Bitcoin Vision Perhaps Lee's boldest call remains his Bitcoin price target of $200,000 to $250,000, which he maintains 'still makes sense.' His reasoning is straightforward: this would value Bitcoin at just 25% of gold's market size. Looking further ahead, Lee reiterates his belief that Bitcoin 'should be worth over a million per bitcoin' and that this 'could happen in the next few years.' The Bottom Line Lee's message is clear: current market skepticism, combined with resilient fundamentals and emerging technological shifts, creates compelling investment opportunities. Whether through traditional equities trading at compressed multiples, Apple's potential AI breakthrough, or cryptocurrency's institutional adoption wave, patient investors willing to look past short-term noise may find themselves positioned for significant gains. As Lee emphasizes, his goal at Fundstrat remains helping clients 'find good ideas and make money'—and his track record suggests these contrarian insights deserve serious consideration. Read Next: A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: . Image: Shutterstock This article Wall Street's Tom Lee Says This 'Most Hated' Rally Could Be A Fortune-Maker—And Bitcoin at $250K Isn't Out Of Reach originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
CNBC Daily Open: A week when everything happens
Choose a comfortable seat and grab your popcorn. These five days will basically be the Olympics for market watchers: And looming over all those financial and macroeconomic events is U.S. President Donald Trump's August 1 deadline for his new tariffs. As Kim Forrest, founder at Bokeh Capital, said, "What isn't happening in this week?" Here's the ideal scenario for investors. The Magnificent Seven companies reporting earnings this week and the U.S. economy secure gold at their respective events. (The Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged — whether this qualifies the central bank for a medal is up for debate). Big trading partners of the U.S., such as South Korea and India, secure a deal with the White House and join the European Union and Japan at the podium, while Beijing extends its tariff suspension with Washington. If those events happen, U.S. stocks will probably have legs clear hurdle after hurdle — and the S&P 500 can continue topping record announces a trade agreement with the European Union. Most European goods, including cars, exported to the U.S. will face a 15% tariff, Trump said Sunday. The bloc also agreed to purchase $750 billion worth of U.S. energy, he added. The Fed is ready to start lowering rates, Trump said. On Friday, the U.S. president said Fed Chair Jerome Powell told him "the country is doing well," which Trump took to mean "he's going to start recommending lower rates." Futures markets disagree. Perfect week for the S&P 500. The broad-based index rose Friday to close at a high — its fifth record in a row last week. The Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average also advanced. The Stoxx Europe 600 lost 0.29%. Palantir joins rank of top 20 most valuable U.S. companies. After rising more than 2% on Friday to hit a market cap of $375 billion, Palantir bumped Home Depot out of the list. The software provider has more than doubled in value this year. [PRO] Keep an eye on these overbought stocks. Using CNBC Pro's stock screener tool, the team has identified 18 stocks that might be trading at levels higher than their fair value, based on their 14-day relative strength index. Under Trump, Uncle Sam is becoming an active investor The Trump administration has taken direct stakes in companies on a scale rarely seen in the U.S. outside wartime or economic crisis, pushing a Republican Party that traditionally championed free-market capitalism to embrace state intervention in industries viewed as important for national security. More interventions could be on the horizon as the Trump administration develops a policy to support U.S. companies in strategic industries against state-backed competition from China.
