
Tamil Nadu Launches INR 50 Cr Project to Restore Kariyachalli Island in Climate Fight
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In a major step to tackle climate-driven coastal erosion, the Tamil Nadu government has launched an INR 50 crore initiative to restore Kariyachalli Island in the Gulf of Mannar. The island, part of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, has shrunk by over 70% since 1969—from more than 21 hectares to under six. Experts warn it could disappear entirely by 2036 if no action is taken.
The project is part of the World Bank-backed SHORE (Sustainably Harnessing Ocean Resources) programme and is led by the state's Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests. Key partners include IIT Madras and the Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute.
A total of 8,500 specially engineered artificial reef blocks made of ferrocement and steel will be placed around the island. These structures are designed to absorb wave energy, trap sediments, and support marine biodiversity by creating new habitats.
Importantly, the initiative involves local fishing communities. Over 300 fishers from Tuticorin are being trained as conservation divers, giving them new livelihood options in marine restoration and eco-tourism.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment Department, called the project "a rare confluence of climate adaptation, conservation and community engagement," highlighting its role in strengthening the coastal resilience of Tuticorin and Rameswaram.
This effort is part of the broader INR 1,675 crore Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission, which spans 14 districts and focuses on protecting ecologically vital coastal zones. The project also includes coral and seagrass restoration, making it a model of inclusive and science-driven climate action.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Markets Fall on Weak Jobs Data and Trump's New Tariffs
Workers at the printed circuit board assembly line at Zetwerk Electronics near Bengaluru, India, in June. Personal electronics is one of India's biggest categories of exports to the United States. President Trump's new list of tariffs on half the world's countries sent the United States' trading partners scrambling to understand how their businesses will be affected. India got the bad news a day earlier — its goods face a tariff of 25 percent or more — but the extra time was hardly enough to adjust to the fresh chaos. Indian negotiators had not expected to conclude a meaningful deal in time to meet Mr. Trump's revised deadline of Aug. 1. But they did expect to be treated as well as their neighbors, and to keep haggling with American officials until October or November, when Mr. Trump was invited to visit India as part of the Quad defense group, which brings together four big democracies — India, the United States, Japan and Australia — with a shared interest in standing up to China. Instead, they were fed a heap of insults and injuries. Along with the 25 percent rate, one of the highest in Asia and only a point lower than what was threatened on Liberation Day in April, India was informed that its existing trade barriers are 'strenuous and obnoxious'; it will be charged an untold penalty for buying Russian oil; it is a 'dead economy.' It's archrival Pakistan was praised and promised an oil-exploration deal. Hurt feelings aside, the results are confusing. Two of the biggest categories of exports to the United States from India are personal electronics, worth about $14 billion a year, and pharmaceuticals, worth $10 billion. Rajesh Sharma, executive director of India Cellular and Electronics Association, said smartphones were exempted from these tariffs; so did executives at pharmaceutical companies. But on Friday, after reading the executive order, the Global Trade Research Initiative in New Delhi concluded the opposite. India's stock markets dipped on the news for two days running. Indian and international banks wrote notices warning that the country's generally hard-charging economic growth is likely to slow measurably as a result of the tariffs. Then there are the unknown tariffs. On July 6, Mr. Trump wrote that countries aligned with the BRICS group, of which India is a founding member, would incur an additional 10 percent penalty. Then on July 14, he said that, if Russia didn't make peace with Ukraine within 50 days, he would punish its trading partners with 'secondary tariffs' of 100 percent. That figure is making Indians worry anew. Mr. Trump added 'plus a penalty' to the 25 percent rate imposed on India, for buying Russian oil and weapons. Shashi Tharoor, a prominent member of the opposition, spoke to an Indian news agency about the possible impact. 'There's even talk of a 100 percent penalty,' he said, 'which will destroy our trade with America.' There is evidence that Indian buyers of Russian oil were already pulling back before the executive order. 'Indian refiners have reduced Russian crude purchases this week,' said Sumit Ritolia, an analyst at Kpler, which tracks shipping and commodities. They were already 'looking to further diversify, amid rising concerns over potential U.S. sanctions,' having spent years taking advantage of discounted Russian oil to reduce their imports from the Persian Gulf. Reducing the United States' trade deficit is one of the Trump administration's goals, so convincing India to buy more American oil and gas would make sense. Last year, India exported $45.7 billion more goods to the United States than it imported. It spent about three times as much importing oil. If a third of that were redirected to American sources, their bilateral trade would be evened out. Mr. Trump's angry barrage of social media has complicated further negotiations. The breakdown of trust between Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, and whom he called his 'true friend,' Mr. Trump, is likely to make it harder to complete any deal, analysts say. Indian news outlets have reported that Mr. Trump wanted to iron out some outstanding issues, after four rounds of direct talks between the two sides, in a phone call with Mr. Modi. The Indian government was anxious to avoid any of his last-minute surprises. The U.S. commerce secretary accused India of 'slow-rolling' its trade negotiations. Indian officials and analysts say the friction is caused by a fundamental difference of approach. Mr. Trump has a penchant for quick, top-down deal-making. India's bureaucracy moves at a methodical pace, especially when it comes to opening up the agriculture market, which is politically sensitive. India's recently concluded trade deal with Britain took three years of talks, under two different British prime ministers. On Friday, India's foreign ministry released a statement that put on a brave face. 'India and the United States share a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,' established in 2013 between President Barack Obama and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 'anchored in shared interests, democratic values and robust people-to-people ties.' The ministry stuck to principles, revealing no plan for breaking through Mr. Trump's hard line. 'This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges,' the statement said. 'We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and are confident that the relationship will continue to move forward.' Rebecca Elliott , Mujib Mashal and Hari Kumar contributed reporting.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Google bets on STAN, an Indian social gaming platform
Google has backed STAN, an Indian social gaming platform that connects gamers with creators, communities, and publishers. Google's investment comes as part of an $8.5 million equity funding round, which also saw investment from Japanese gaming giants Bandai Namco Entertainment, Square Enix, and Reazon Holdings. Aptos Labs and King River Capital, as well as existing backers General Catalyst and GFR Fund, also participated. Google joined the round via its AI Futures Fund, which launched in May to support startups building with its AI tools. STAN, headquartered in Singapore, is trying to position itself as a gaming community platform to rival Discord, but its approach to the market is quite different. STAN lets users earn in-app currency called 'Gems' by winning games like Krafton's Battlegrounds Mobile India, Garena's Free Fire Max, Minecraft, Call of Duty, or casual titles like Ludo and Snakes & Ladders. The app also lets creators set up chat rooms called Clubs, which are channels tailored for each game on the platform. While anyone can join these Clubs, they need to pay a social currency to access the 'gaming experiences' that creators offer. The startup takes a commission from these transactions. The primary attraction seems to be the in-app currency, however, as it can be redeemed for vouchers on various e-commerce platforms like Amazon, PhonePe, and Flipkart. Users can also earn currency via referrals, a spin-to-win wheel, and daily rewards. It appears STAN's monetization model is what sets it apart: users can earn rewards through interactions, unlike on Discord, where chatting or participating in communities doesn't earn users much, apart from clout. Nonetheless, STAN wants to shadow Discord. The company claims it has already garnered over 25 million downloads on the Play Store and App Store altogether, and has around 5.5 million monthly active users. 'STAN is the hangout place for gamers. It's a place where gamers come and make friends, play with each other, talk to each other, sort of a fusion of social and gaming,' said Parth Chadha, co-founder and CEO of STAN, in an interview. Chadha credits the platform's features for its traction so far. Initially, creators had to contact the company's team to start streaming, but last year, the startup opened the platform to user-generated content, allowing anyone to go live. That shift helped drive both downloads and engagement, the CEO said. STAN also works with game publishers, studios, and developers, including Krafton, Garena, and Roblox, who pay the startup to connect them with gamers and creators on the platform. Chadha told TechCrunch that in the past two quarters, nearly 100 game publishers, studios, and developers have joined the platform, and it is bringing more than 20 on board each month. 'That is turning into a very interesting business stream as we speak,' he said. Looking ahead, STAN plans to leverage Google's backing to use AI to improve moderation. Currently 70% to 80% of moderation on STAN is already handled by AI, Chadha said. A human moderation team manages the rest, but the startup plans to reduce that further by using AI. Additionally, STAN aims to bring AI-powered toolkits for creators, including the ability to produce avatars and memes, as well as tools for quick replies and filtering out chats. 'There are a lot of interesting plug-and-play models, which we and the Google team are working together to leverage and scale the business,' he stated. STAN isn't the first Indian startup to be backed by Google's AI Futures Fund. That distinction goes to Toonsutra, a startup using AI to power an immersive comic-reading experience. Google confirmed to TechCrunch that it has invested over $5.5 billion in India to date, including in startups Toonsutra, STAN, Pixxel, and Adda 24X7. Although STAN's app is currently geo-restricted to India, the platform still sees 5%–6% of its engagement coming from users abroad, who often access it using Indian phone numbers and accounts. Over the next year, the startup plans to expand internationally, starting with the Indian subcontinent, and will later target Southeast Asia and Latin America. The startup was profitable for a few months, the CEO said, but decided to spend some money to scale. Now, it aims to achieve profitability in 2027, he added. Currently, the startup employs about 40 people, of whom less than 30 work in product engineering. With this raise, STAN's total equity funding now stands at around $15 million. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Stock market today: Dow drops 600 points, S&P 500, Nasdaq sink after weak jobs report, Trump's tariff redux
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The surprise cracks in the labor market will be closely watched by the Federal Reserve, whose preferred inflation gauge on Thursday showed signs of increasing price pressures. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury (^TNX) dived following the jobs data as traders ramped up bets on interest rate cuts this year. Meanwhile, markets assessed the reshaped US trade landscape after Trump on Thursday hit dozens of countries — including crucial partners Taiwan and India — with steep new tariffs. His executive order formally authorized a hike in levies on Canada to 35%, to go into effect on Friday. Most of the other "reciprocal" rates range from 15% to 40% (though the baseline remains 10%) and will be implemented in seven days. The White House also confirmed details of trade agreements negotiated by some trading partners before the Aug. 1 deadline for "Liberation Day" tariffs to hit. But Trump said the implementation of the hiked levies will be pushed back by seven days, opening up scope for more talks. Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs Also dragging on spirits was disappointment over Amazon's (AMZN) earnings released late Thursday. The performance of its AWS cloud unit failed to live up to lofty expectations set by rivals Google (GOOG, GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT), sending its shares down as much as 8%. But Apple (AAPL) erased losses despite results which beat expectations, boosted by surprisingly strong iPhone sales. Dow sinks 600 points, S&P 500 Nasdaq drop to session lows The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped more than 600 points, or 1.4% Friday afternoon, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell around 1.7% to touch a session low. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) tumbled more than 2.3%. Most growth sectors were in the red, leading the declines. The sell-off followed a weaker-than-expected jobs report, and after President Trump reshaped the US trade landscape by imposing tariffs on imports from dozens of trading partners around the world. Friday's July jobs report showed weaker-than-expected hiring and larger-than-normal downward revisions to prior months' data, suggesting the labor market has been weakening for months. 'A gamechanger': Economists react to weak July jobs report as rate cut bets Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports: Read more here. " Big Tech's AI investments set to spike to $364 billion in 2025 as bubble fears ease Big Tech firms Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META) reported that they were set to spend as much as a cumulative $364 billion in their respective 2025 fiscal years, up from their prior estimates of around $325 billion. Investors appeared to shrug off the increase for the most part. Shares of three of the four tech giants spiked following their latest quarterly earnings reports over the past two weeks, which showed the companies broadly outperforming Wall Street's expectations and lifting their capital expenditure forecasts. Meta and Microsoft shares surged roughly 11% and 4%, respectively, in Thursday's trading session, following their quarterly results the prior afternoon. Microsoft's surge briefly pushed the firm's value north of $4 trillion for the first time. Alphabet stock also jumped following its report last week. Amazon was an exception to Wall Street's bullish reception of the capital expenditures changes. Shares fell 8% Friday after the company raised its capital expenditure forecast, but its guidance for operating income at its AWS cloud computing unit was lower than expected, raising questions about its AI plans. Amazon said its $31.4 billion in second quarter capital expenditures was "reasonably representative of our quarterly capital investment rate for the back half of this year," implying it would spend around $118.5 billion in the full fiscal year. Read the full story here. UnitedHealth Group stock drops after appointing new CFO in wake of top leadership change After a year that has seen its share price collapse by more than 50%, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) has swapped out its chief financial officer, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley and Anjalee Khemlani report. Conley and Khemlani write: Shares of UnitedHealth dropped around 3.4% early Friday. Read the full story here. Manufacturing activity hits a 9-month low Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector hit a nine month low in July. The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing PMI registered a reading of 48% in July, down from June's reading of 49%. Readings above 50 for this index indicate an expansion in activity, while readings below 50 indicate contraction. The manufacturing sector has been in contraction for most of the past two years. 'In July, U.S. manufacturing activity contracted at a faster rate, with declines in the Supplier Deliveries and Employment Indexes contributing as the biggest factors in the 1-percentage point loss of the Manufacturing PMI," Chair of the Institute for Supply Management Susan Spence wrote in the release. Reddit stock soars after Q2 earnings beat Reddit (RDDT) stock soared more than 16% early Friday after the social media platform reported second quarter earnings and revenue that surpassed Wall Street's expectations, with a sunnier than anticipated outlook for its third quarter. The social media's revenue grew 78% to $500 million, its fastest revenue growth in three years, according to the company. That figure was ahead of the $425 million projected by Wall Street analysts tracked by Bloomberg. In its results released late Thursday, Reddit also reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.92, ahead of the estimated $0.72. The company said global daily active users hit 110.4 million in the three months ended June 30, just above the 110 million expected by analysts, according to Bloomberg consensus data. Meanwhile, US daily active users hit 50.3 million, slightly below the 50.5 million expected. Read more about Reddit's latest report here. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly stocks pop on report of Medicare, Medicaid GLP-1 coverage Shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY) spiked at the open after the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to experiment with allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover weight-loss drugs. A plan obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D insurance plans can voluntarily choose to cover Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound for weight management, the Post reported. It's a signal that the administration is more open to GLP-1 drug coverage, despite reservations from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly stocks both popped 3% in the first 10 minutes of trading. On Thursday, the stocks sold off after President Trump sent a letter to 17 pharma companies demanding that they slash their drug prices in the US. Stocks sink at the open US stocks sank at the market open on Friday after President Trump officially hit virtually every US trading partner with sweeping tariff hikes, and the June jobs report showed signs of a labor market slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.9%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell around 1%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) sank about 1.4%, on the heels of a losing day for the major US gauges. Treasury yields sink after jobs data as traders price in more aggressive Fed action The big market action after a shocking July jobs report was being seen in the bond market Friday morning. Treasuries were in rally mode as traders moved to price in at least two interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year. That reversed the moves seen Wednesday after the FOMC meeting, which saw Fed Chair Jay Powell talk down the need for rate cuts. The yield on 2-year Treasury notes fell by more than 17 basis points to as low as 3.78% Friday morning. The yield on 10-year notes fell by nearly 10 basis points to as low as 4.27%. Data from the CME Group showed the odds for a September rate cut from the Fed were as high as 75% following Friday's report. The July jobs report showed the US economy added just 73,000 jobs last month while revisions to the May and June reports showed more than quarter million fewer jobs were added to the economy than previously reported. On Wednesday, odds for a September rate cut from the Fed were just 37%. Just before the release of Friday's jobs report, two Fed governors — Chris Waller and Michelle Bowman — issued statements explaining their decision to vote against the Fed's call to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday. Both suggested the US labor market is not as strong as recent data had shown, and that when the labor market turns, it may turn quickly. Waller and Bowman's dissents on Wednesday marked the first time since 1993 that two members of the Fed's Board of Governors voted against a policy action at the same meeting. President Trump, for his part, said Friday morning before the jobs numbers were released the Fed board should "ASSUME CONTROL" as Powell continues to face criticism from the president over his view that interest rates should remain at current levels. Figma stock rises 19% in premarket trade Friday, poised to build on Thursday's 250% rally Figma (FIG) stock looked set to surge again on Friday, rising as much as 19% in premarket trading after shares rocketed higher with a gain of 250% in Thursday's public market debut, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. New healthcare jobs continue to lead gains Here's a look at US employment by sector in July. Where hiring picked up: Where hiring declined: US labor market adds 73,000 jobs in July while unemployment rate hits 4.2% Stock futures fell premarket after the July jobs report showed US nonfarm payrolls missed estimates. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) dropped 0.9%, while futures for the S&P 500 (ES=F) fell around 1%. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) sank 1.1%. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. European stocks slide after Trump announces new tariffs European stocks fell on Friday after President Trump confirmed new tariff rates, including a 15% tariff rate on goods from the European Union and a 10% rate for the UK. In London, the benchmark FTSE 100 index (^FTSE) fell 0.5%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 (^STOXX) index shed 0.75%, while Germany's DAX (^GDAXI) dropped 1.89% and the CAC (^FCHI) in Paris declined 2%. In a twist, Trump said the new tariffs will take effect a week from now, instead of today, as was originally telegraphed. Still, global markets were rattled by the latest change to US trade policy. Swiss manufacturers warned Friday that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk after President Trump imposed steep tariffs. European pharmaceutical companies, such as Novo Nordisk (NVO) and AstraZeneca (AZN), were also in the red Thursday and will be stocks to watch Friday after Trump sent a letter to 17 companies, urging them to lower prices. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic calendar: Nonfarm payrolls (July); Unemployment rate (July); Average hourly earnings (July); Average weekly hours worked (July); Labor force participation rate (July); ISM manufacturing (July); S&P Global US manufacturing (July final); Construction spending (June); University of Michigan consumer sentiment (July final) Earnings: Chevron (CVX), Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Exxon Mobil (XOM) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: July jobs report on deck: What to expect Trump stuns markets again with latest bid to reshape US trade order Trump: Fed board should assume control if Powell won't cut rates Trump lays out sweeping tariff hikes for dozens of countries Amazon stock sinks as cloud results fail to impress Moderna beats estimates on COVID booster sales, cost cuts Exxon beats profit estimates as output rises despite weak oil prices Chevron beats Wall Street profit estimates with record output Big Tech's AI and core businesses are blurring together This week, investors heard quarterly updates from Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META). And in the midst of strong quarterly financial results from Big Tech, a new paradigm is emerging, Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban wrote in today's Morning Brief. Hamza writes: Read more here. Chevron beats Wall Street profit estimates with record production Chevron (CVX) beat analyst estimates on Friday for second-quarter profit as record oil and gas production and lower capital expenditure helped the US oil producer boost earnings despite weaker crude prices. Chevron shares were flat in premarket trading. Reuters reports: Read more here. Exxon beats profit estimates with higher production despite weak oil prices Shares in Exxon Mobil (XOM) rose more than 1% before the bell on Friday after the company beat Wall Street estimate for second-quarter profit as higher oil and gas production helped the top US oil producer overcome lower crude prices. Reuters reports: Read more here. Eyes on Figma, day two After a sizzling 250% surge on Thursday IPO day, Figma (FIG) is up another 8% premarket. You are watching the forming of a stock bubble in real time here! I encourage you to read up on the company's not-so-impressive financials this weekend. US stock losses pick up pace after Trump's tariff blitz The retreat in US stock futures accelerated on Friday morning as Wall Street weighed the likely fallout from President Trump's trade war. The broad benchmark S&P 500 (ES=F) was down 1% with four hours to go before the market open, having held not far below the flat line in earlier overnight trade. Futures on The Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) sank 0.9%, while contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) dived 1.1%. Markets are assessing the reshaped US trade landscape after President Trump on Thursday hit dozens of countries — including crucial partners Taiwan and India — with steep new tariffs. July jobs report on deck: What to watch The countdown is on for the release of the US nonfarm-payrolls reading for July, the final piece in a string of top-tier data this week. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer lays out what's in store: Read more here. Dow sinks 600 points, S&P 500 Nasdaq drop to session lows The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped more than 600 points, or 1.4% Friday afternoon, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell around 1.7% to touch a session low. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) tumbled more than 2.3%. Most growth sectors were in the red, leading the declines. The sell-off followed a weaker-than-expected jobs report, and after President Trump reshaped the US trade landscape by imposing tariffs on imports from dozens of trading partners around the world. Friday's July jobs report showed weaker-than-expected hiring and larger-than-normal downward revisions to prior months' data, suggesting the labor market has been weakening for months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped more than 600 points, or 1.4% Friday afternoon, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell around 1.7% to touch a session low. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) tumbled more than 2.3%. Most growth sectors were in the red, leading the declines. The sell-off followed a weaker-than-expected jobs report, and after President Trump reshaped the US trade landscape by imposing tariffs on imports from dozens of trading partners around the world. Friday's July jobs report showed weaker-than-expected hiring and larger-than-normal downward revisions to prior months' data, suggesting the labor market has been weakening for months. 'A gamechanger': Economists react to weak July jobs report as rate cut bets Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports: Read more here. " Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports: Read more here. " Big Tech's AI investments set to spike to $364 billion in 2025 as bubble fears ease Big Tech firms Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META) reported that they were set to spend as much as a cumulative $364 billion in their respective 2025 fiscal years, up from their prior estimates of around $325 billion. Investors appeared to shrug off the increase for the most part. Shares of three of the four tech giants spiked following their latest quarterly earnings reports over the past two weeks, which showed the companies broadly outperforming Wall Street's expectations and lifting their capital expenditure forecasts. Meta and Microsoft shares surged roughly 11% and 4%, respectively, in Thursday's trading session, following their quarterly results the prior afternoon. Microsoft's surge briefly pushed the firm's value north of $4 trillion for the first time. Alphabet stock also jumped following its report last week. Amazon was an exception to Wall Street's bullish reception of the capital expenditures changes. Shares fell 8% Friday after the company raised its capital expenditure forecast, but its guidance for operating income at its AWS cloud computing unit was lower than expected, raising questions about its AI plans. Amazon said its $31.4 billion in second quarter capital expenditures was "reasonably representative of our quarterly capital investment rate for the back half of this year," implying it would spend around $118.5 billion in the full fiscal year. Read the full story here. Big Tech firms Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META) reported that they were set to spend as much as a cumulative $364 billion in their respective 2025 fiscal years, up from their prior estimates of around $325 billion. Investors appeared to shrug off the increase for the most part. Shares of three of the four tech giants spiked following their latest quarterly earnings reports over the past two weeks, which showed the companies broadly outperforming Wall Street's expectations and lifting their capital expenditure forecasts. Meta and Microsoft shares surged roughly 11% and 4%, respectively, in Thursday's trading session, following their quarterly results the prior afternoon. Microsoft's surge briefly pushed the firm's value north of $4 trillion for the first time. Alphabet stock also jumped following its report last week. Amazon was an exception to Wall Street's bullish reception of the capital expenditures changes. Shares fell 8% Friday after the company raised its capital expenditure forecast, but its guidance for operating income at its AWS cloud computing unit was lower than expected, raising questions about its AI plans. Amazon said its $31.4 billion in second quarter capital expenditures was "reasonably representative of our quarterly capital investment rate for the back half of this year," implying it would spend around $118.5 billion in the full fiscal year. Read the full story here. UnitedHealth Group stock drops after appointing new CFO in wake of top leadership change After a year that has seen its share price collapse by more than 50%, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) has swapped out its chief financial officer, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley and Anjalee Khemlani report. Conley and Khemlani write: Shares of UnitedHealth dropped around 3.4% early Friday. Read the full story here. After a year that has seen its share price collapse by more than 50%, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) has swapped out its chief financial officer, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley and Anjalee Khemlani report. Conley and Khemlani write: Shares of UnitedHealth dropped around 3.4% early Friday. Read the full story here. Manufacturing activity hits a 9-month low Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector hit a nine month low in July. The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing PMI registered a reading of 48% in July, down from June's reading of 49%. Readings above 50 for this index indicate an expansion in activity, while readings below 50 indicate contraction. The manufacturing sector has been in contraction for most of the past two years. 'In July, U.S. manufacturing activity contracted at a faster rate, with declines in the Supplier Deliveries and Employment Indexes contributing as the biggest factors in the 1-percentage point loss of the Manufacturing PMI," Chair of the Institute for Supply Management Susan Spence wrote in the release. Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector hit a nine month low in July. The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing PMI registered a reading of 48% in July, down from June's reading of 49%. Readings above 50 for this index indicate an expansion in activity, while readings below 50 indicate contraction. The manufacturing sector has been in contraction for most of the past two years. 'In July, U.S. manufacturing activity contracted at a faster rate, with declines in the Supplier Deliveries and Employment Indexes contributing as the biggest factors in the 1-percentage point loss of the Manufacturing PMI," Chair of the Institute for Supply Management Susan Spence wrote in the release. Reddit stock soars after Q2 earnings beat Reddit (RDDT) stock soared more than 16% early Friday after the social media platform reported second quarter earnings and revenue that surpassed Wall Street's expectations, with a sunnier than anticipated outlook for its third quarter. The social media's revenue grew 78% to $500 million, its fastest revenue growth in three years, according to the company. That figure was ahead of the $425 million projected by Wall Street analysts tracked by Bloomberg. In its results released late Thursday, Reddit also reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.92, ahead of the estimated $0.72. The company said global daily active users hit 110.4 million in the three months ended June 30, just above the 110 million expected by analysts, according to Bloomberg consensus data. Meanwhile, US daily active users hit 50.3 million, slightly below the 50.5 million expected. Read more about Reddit's latest report here. Reddit (RDDT) stock soared more than 16% early Friday after the social media platform reported second quarter earnings and revenue that surpassed Wall Street's expectations, with a sunnier than anticipated outlook for its third quarter. The social media's revenue grew 78% to $500 million, its fastest revenue growth in three years, according to the company. That figure was ahead of the $425 million projected by Wall Street analysts tracked by Bloomberg. In its results released late Thursday, Reddit also reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.92, ahead of the estimated $0.72. The company said global daily active users hit 110.4 million in the three months ended June 30, just above the 110 million expected by analysts, according to Bloomberg consensus data. Meanwhile, US daily active users hit 50.3 million, slightly below the 50.5 million expected. Read more about Reddit's latest report here. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly stocks pop on report of Medicare, Medicaid GLP-1 coverage Shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY) spiked at the open after the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to experiment with allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover weight-loss drugs. A plan obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D insurance plans can voluntarily choose to cover Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound for weight management, the Post reported. It's a signal that the administration is more open to GLP-1 drug coverage, despite reservations from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly stocks both popped 3% in the first 10 minutes of trading. On Thursday, the stocks sold off after President Trump sent a letter to 17 pharma companies demanding that they slash their drug prices in the US. Shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY) spiked at the open after the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to experiment with allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover weight-loss drugs. A plan obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D insurance plans can voluntarily choose to cover Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound for weight management, the Post reported. It's a signal that the administration is more open to GLP-1 drug coverage, despite reservations from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly stocks both popped 3% in the first 10 minutes of trading. On Thursday, the stocks sold off after President Trump sent a letter to 17 pharma companies demanding that they slash their drug prices in the US. Stocks sink at the open US stocks sank at the market open on Friday after President Trump officially hit virtually every US trading partner with sweeping tariff hikes, and the June jobs report showed signs of a labor market slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.9%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell around 1%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) sank about 1.4%, on the heels of a losing day for the major US gauges. US stocks sank at the market open on Friday after President Trump officially hit virtually every US trading partner with sweeping tariff hikes, and the June jobs report showed signs of a labor market slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.9%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell around 1%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) sank about 1.4%, on the heels of a losing day for the major US gauges. Treasury yields sink after jobs data as traders price in more aggressive Fed action The big market action after a shocking July jobs report was being seen in the bond market Friday morning. Treasuries were in rally mode as traders moved to price in at least two interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year. That reversed the moves seen Wednesday after the FOMC meeting, which saw Fed Chair Jay Powell talk down the need for rate cuts. The yield on 2-year Treasury notes fell by more than 17 basis points to as low as 3.78% Friday morning. The yield on 10-year notes fell by nearly 10 basis points to as low as 4.27%. Data from the CME Group showed the odds for a September rate cut from the Fed were as high as 75% following Friday's report. The July jobs report showed the US economy added just 73,000 jobs last month while revisions to the May and June reports showed more than quarter million fewer jobs were added to the economy than previously reported. On Wednesday, odds for a September rate cut from the Fed were just 37%. Just before the release of Friday's jobs report, two Fed governors — Chris Waller and Michelle Bowman — issued statements explaining their decision to vote against the Fed's call to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday. Both suggested the US labor market is not as strong as recent data had shown, and that when the labor market turns, it may turn quickly. Waller and Bowman's dissents on Wednesday marked the first time since 1993 that two members of the Fed's Board of Governors voted against a policy action at the same meeting. President Trump, for his part, said Friday morning before the jobs numbers were released the Fed board should "ASSUME CONTROL" as Powell continues to face criticism from the president over his view that interest rates should remain at current levels. The big market action after a shocking July jobs report was being seen in the bond market Friday morning. Treasuries were in rally mode as traders moved to price in at least two interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year. That reversed the moves seen Wednesday after the FOMC meeting, which saw Fed Chair Jay Powell talk down the need for rate cuts. The yield on 2-year Treasury notes fell by more than 17 basis points to as low as 3.78% Friday morning. The yield on 10-year notes fell by nearly 10 basis points to as low as 4.27%. Data from the CME Group showed the odds for a September rate cut from the Fed were as high as 75% following Friday's report. The July jobs report showed the US economy added just 73,000 jobs last month while revisions to the May and June reports showed more than quarter million fewer jobs were added to the economy than previously reported. On Wednesday, odds for a September rate cut from the Fed were just 37%. Just before the release of Friday's jobs report, two Fed governors — Chris Waller and Michelle Bowman — issued statements explaining their decision to vote against the Fed's call to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday. Both suggested the US labor market is not as strong as recent data had shown, and that when the labor market turns, it may turn quickly. Waller and Bowman's dissents on Wednesday marked the first time since 1993 that two members of the Fed's Board of Governors voted against a policy action at the same meeting. President Trump, for his part, said Friday morning before the jobs numbers were released the Fed board should "ASSUME CONTROL" as Powell continues to face criticism from the president over his view that interest rates should remain at current levels. Figma stock rises 19% in premarket trade Friday, poised to build on Thursday's 250% rally Figma (FIG) stock looked set to surge again on Friday, rising as much as 19% in premarket trading after shares rocketed higher with a gain of 250% in Thursday's public market debut, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. Figma (FIG) stock looked set to surge again on Friday, rising as much as 19% in premarket trading after shares rocketed higher with a gain of 250% in Thursday's public market debut, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. New healthcare jobs continue to lead gains Here's a look at US employment by sector in July. Where hiring picked up: Where hiring declined: Here's a look at US employment by sector in July. Where hiring picked up: Where hiring declined: US labor market adds 73,000 jobs in July while unemployment rate hits 4.2% Stock futures fell premarket after the July jobs report showed US nonfarm payrolls missed estimates. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) dropped 0.9%, while futures for the S&P 500 (ES=F) fell around 1%. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) sank 1.1%. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. Stock futures fell premarket after the July jobs report showed US nonfarm payrolls missed estimates. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) dropped 0.9%, while futures for the S&P 500 (ES=F) fell around 1%. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) sank 1.1%. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. European stocks slide after Trump announces new tariffs European stocks fell on Friday after President Trump confirmed new tariff rates, including a 15% tariff rate on goods from the European Union and a 10% rate for the UK. In London, the benchmark FTSE 100 index (^FTSE) fell 0.5%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 (^STOXX) index shed 0.75%, while Germany's DAX (^GDAXI) dropped 1.89% and the CAC (^FCHI) in Paris declined 2%. In a twist, Trump said the new tariffs will take effect a week from now, instead of today, as was originally telegraphed. Still, global markets were rattled by the latest change to US trade policy. Swiss manufacturers warned Friday that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk after President Trump imposed steep tariffs. European pharmaceutical companies, such as Novo Nordisk (NVO) and AstraZeneca (AZN), were also in the red Thursday and will be stocks to watch Friday after Trump sent a letter to 17 companies, urging them to lower prices. European stocks fell on Friday after President Trump confirmed new tariff rates, including a 15% tariff rate on goods from the European Union and a 10% rate for the UK. In London, the benchmark FTSE 100 index (^FTSE) fell 0.5%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 (^STOXX) index shed 0.75%, while Germany's DAX (^GDAXI) dropped 1.89% and the CAC (^FCHI) in Paris declined 2%. In a twist, Trump said the new tariffs will take effect a week from now, instead of today, as was originally telegraphed. Still, global markets were rattled by the latest change to US trade policy. Swiss manufacturers warned Friday that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk after President Trump imposed steep tariffs. European pharmaceutical companies, such as Novo Nordisk (NVO) and AstraZeneca (AZN), were also in the red Thursday and will be stocks to watch Friday after Trump sent a letter to 17 companies, urging them to lower prices. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic calendar: Nonfarm payrolls (July); Unemployment rate (July); Average hourly earnings (July); Average weekly hours worked (July); Labor force participation rate (July); ISM manufacturing (July); S&P Global US manufacturing (July final); Construction spending (June); University of Michigan consumer sentiment (July final) Earnings: Chevron (CVX), Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Exxon Mobil (XOM) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: July jobs report on deck: What to expect Trump stuns markets again with latest bid to reshape US trade order Trump: Fed board should assume control if Powell won't cut rates Trump lays out sweeping tariff hikes for dozens of countries Amazon stock sinks as cloud results fail to impress Moderna beats estimates on COVID booster sales, cost cuts Exxon beats profit estimates as output rises despite weak oil prices Chevron beats Wall Street profit estimates with record output Economic calendar: Nonfarm payrolls (July); Unemployment rate (July); Average hourly earnings (July); Average weekly hours worked (July); Labor force participation rate (July); ISM manufacturing (July); S&P Global US manufacturing (July final); Construction spending (June); University of Michigan consumer sentiment (July final) Earnings: Chevron (CVX), Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Exxon Mobil (XOM) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: July jobs report on deck: What to expect Trump stuns markets again with latest bid to reshape US trade order Trump: Fed board should assume control if Powell won't cut rates Trump lays out sweeping tariff hikes for dozens of countries Amazon stock sinks as cloud results fail to impress Moderna beats estimates on COVID booster sales, cost cuts Exxon beats profit estimates as output rises despite weak oil prices Chevron beats Wall Street profit estimates with record output Big Tech's AI and core businesses are blurring together This week, investors heard quarterly updates from Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META). And in the midst of strong quarterly financial results from Big Tech, a new paradigm is emerging, Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban wrote in today's Morning Brief. Hamza writes: Read more here. This week, investors heard quarterly updates from Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META). And in the midst of strong quarterly financial results from Big Tech, a new paradigm is emerging, Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban wrote in today's Morning Brief. Hamza writes: Read more here. Chevron beats Wall Street profit estimates with record production Chevron (CVX) beat analyst estimates on Friday for second-quarter profit as record oil and gas production and lower capital expenditure helped the US oil producer boost earnings despite weaker crude prices. Chevron shares were flat in premarket trading. Reuters reports: Read more here. Chevron (CVX) beat analyst estimates on Friday for second-quarter profit as record oil and gas production and lower capital expenditure helped the US oil producer boost earnings despite weaker crude prices. Chevron shares were flat in premarket trading. Reuters reports: Read more here. Exxon beats profit estimates with higher production despite weak oil prices Shares in Exxon Mobil (XOM) rose more than 1% before the bell on Friday after the company beat Wall Street estimate for second-quarter profit as higher oil and gas production helped the top US oil producer overcome lower crude prices. Reuters reports: Read more here. Shares in Exxon Mobil (XOM) rose more than 1% before the bell on Friday after the company beat Wall Street estimate for second-quarter profit as higher oil and gas production helped the top US oil producer overcome lower crude prices. Reuters reports: Read more here. Eyes on Figma, day two After a sizzling 250% surge on Thursday IPO day, Figma (FIG) is up another 8% premarket. You are watching the forming of a stock bubble in real time here! I encourage you to read up on the company's not-so-impressive financials this weekend. After a sizzling 250% surge on Thursday IPO day, Figma (FIG) is up another 8% premarket. You are watching the forming of a stock bubble in real time here! I encourage you to read up on the company's not-so-impressive financials this weekend. US stock losses pick up pace after Trump's tariff blitz The retreat in US stock futures accelerated on Friday morning as Wall Street weighed the likely fallout from President Trump's trade war. The broad benchmark S&P 500 (ES=F) was down 1% with four hours to go before the market open, having held not far below the flat line in earlier overnight trade. Futures on The Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) sank 0.9%, while contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) dived 1.1%. Markets are assessing the reshaped US trade landscape after President Trump on Thursday hit dozens of countries — including crucial partners Taiwan and India — with steep new tariffs. The retreat in US stock futures accelerated on Friday morning as Wall Street weighed the likely fallout from President Trump's trade war. The broad benchmark S&P 500 (ES=F) was down 1% with four hours to go before the market open, having held not far below the flat line in earlier overnight trade. Futures on The Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) sank 0.9%, while contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) dived 1.1%. Markets are assessing the reshaped US trade landscape after President Trump on Thursday hit dozens of countries — including crucial partners Taiwan and India — with steep new tariffs. July jobs report on deck: What to watch The countdown is on for the release of the US nonfarm-payrolls reading for July, the final piece in a string of top-tier data this week. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer lays out what's in store: Read more here. The countdown is on for the release of the US nonfarm-payrolls reading for July, the final piece in a string of top-tier data this week. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer lays out what's in store: Read more here. 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