Thematic (Sector/Industry)

• Indian equities have delivered envious returns and consistently rewarded shareholders, showcasing superior per share earnings growth and a high number of firms with strong Return on Equity.  
• While GDP grows robustly (projected 6.3% FY25, 6.4% 2026), earnings growth, robust household consumption (7.1% CAGR over 34 years), and increasing investments are key drivers.  
• The FY26 outlook is cautiously optimistic, with potential 12-15% Nifty returns driven by tailwinds, but current valuations and global risks necessitate a careful approach.

• The S&P 500 ended near flat, down 0.04% to 5,842, as investors weighed fears of rising rates and a growing US deficit.
• Japanese listed companies anticipate a 7% decline in total net profit for the fiscal year ending March 2026, marking the first fall in six years
• Foreign visitors to Japan surged 28.5% year-on-year in April, reaching a record 3.91 million, fueled by the cherry blossom season and Easter holidays, and a weak yen.

• Westport in County Meal, Ireland is a lively town with traditional pubs and a scenic backdrop of Croagh Patrick mountain.
• The town benefits from American pharmaceutical companies like Allergan manufacturing products such as Botox, thanks to Ireland’s low corporate tax rates.
• However, President Trump’s desire to bring back manufacturing to the US poses a threat to Ireland’s economy and its relationship with multinational companies.

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

• The food and beverage sector stands out for its aggressive dual approach—raising prices while driving internal efficiencies—which could position it for earnings outperformance if input cost inflation stabilizes.
• Alcoholic beverage makers are facing near-term consumption risks post-price hikes. Yet they are pursuing structural cost improvements to safeguard margins.
• Department store operators are balancing strong recent performance and structural transformation with near-term headwinds from remodeling and softer inbound trends.

• LI US/1211 HK/XPEV US: NEV Weekly Sales Ranking (May 12-18, 2025) (+/+/-)
• 1211 HK: Denza and Formula Leopard Units Merged Back into Parent Company (+)
• 1810 HK : Xuanjie O1 Chip Enters Mass Production (+)

• Watch for upside in names involved in HAMR drives such as TDK after positive comments from Seagate.
• Rohm finally starting to get bucketed as an AI name could see significant upside after deep correction.
• Quantum names continuing to surge with huge moves in IonQ and D-Wave sets positive tone for Socionext still.

• Mid-Market players SAMHI Hotels (SAMHI IN) and Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd (LEMONTRE IN) led FY18-24 revenue and EBITDA growth with 16%/31% and 14%/25% CAGRs respectively, reflecting aggressive expansion. 
• FY24 saw strong average occupancy of 72% with rising RevPAR across luxury (high ARR) and mid-scale (volume) segments. 
• Indian Hotels (IH IN) and Lemon Tree lead the pipeline with 74% and 59% key growth, driven by asset-light strategies for faster scale-up.

• India’s defense exports grew 34-fold in 11 years, aiming for Rs 30,000 crore in FY26, supported by policy reforms.
• India is now the fourth-largest exporter of marine products, with exports rising to 16.85 LMT and valued at $7.2 billion.
• Coal India Ltd (COAL IN) begins process to list BCCL and CMPDI subsidiaries, will file DRHP with Sebi soon, IPO timing dependent on market.

• Secondary sales in the cooling market slowed recently, impacted by delayed summer onset and unseasonal rains across parts of the country.  
• The secondary sales slowdown, tied to weather unpredictability, could impact immediate growth but does not reflect fundamental shifts in demand. 
• While short-term weather challenges have created inventory delays, the cooling sector’s fundamentals remain strong, with long-term growth drivers like low penetration and GDP growth continuing to support industry expansion.

• Rio Tinto has been confirmed as the preferred partner for Chile’s Salares Altoandinos project, marking a major step in scaling its lithium ambitions.
• Lithium demand is expected to grow over 5x by 2040, driven by electric vehicles and energy storage, though rising supply and tech shifts may cap long-term pricing.
• Zijin Mining is a preferred play given its diversified  -copper and gold and expanding lithium footprint & lower valuation. Albemarle could  face pressure from intensifying competition, rising low-cost supply etc.

• A weak 20-year Treasury auction spooked markets; Stocks tumbled as the Dow fell 800 points
• Orbis Investments increased its stake in Tsuruha Holdings to 10.29%; opposes Tsuruha’s planned business integration with Welcia
• Wolfspeed Stock down over 60% as prepares for bankruptcy. Potential impact on wafer supply to Renesas?

• Semiconductor industry expected to grow by 10%
• US semiconductor manufacturing expansion faces challenges
• Trump and China agree to a 90-day pause on new tariffs, with uncertainty about future outcomes

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

• YTD, the Rmb has appreciated by 1.3% against the USD, reversing the 2.8% depreciation in 2024. The gainers in FY24 may now turn to losers, and vice versa.
• The top 5 gainers in FY24 are Shangri-La Asia (69 HK), Singamas Container (716 HK), China Everbright Env (257 HK), BYD Electronics (285 HK), and China Education Group (839 HK). 
• The FY24 losers, and potential FY25 gainers, are Air China (753 HK), China Southern Airlines (1055 HK), China Eastern Airlines (670 HK), CNBM (3323 HK), and H World (1179 HK). 

• Tech and semis sharply lower as investors go risk off, although Coreweave bucks the trend to jump another 19%.
• Infineon buoyed sentiment for power semi’s somewhat after announcing tie up with NVDA for HVDC data center systems.
• Expect a rough ride for Home builders and construction related plays such as Sumitomo Forestry and Shin Etsu.

• In early May, we had the opportunity to meet with executives from leading companies in the semiconductor industry in Taiwan.
• We found that investment in technology research and development is a common key factor behind their success, allowing them to stay ahead of the curve and achieve superior profitability compared to their peers.
• Moreover, having a diversified production base gives these companies the flexibility to withstand severe negative impacts from trade conflicts. 

• The WTR Sustainable Index was up 5.9% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (up 5.3%), the Russell 2000 Index (up 4.5%), and the Nasdaq Index (up 6.8%).
• Energy Technology (12.6% of the index) was up 10.4%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (47.4% of the index) was up 5.4%, ClimateTech Mining was up 2.9%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions (21.7% of the index) was up 6.9%.
• Top 10 Performers: FL, AEVA, SPI, MVST, ACHR, LIS, SMR, TGEN, CLIR, TPIC

• The tariff pause that refreshes? The administration’s decision to pause some tariffs during negotiations helped the broader market and residential furnishings stocks, but not the office furniture or home goods retailers.
• The WTR Commercial/Contract Furniture Index declined 1.8% and the Home Goods Retailers Index fell 1.5%, while the residential Manufacturers & Suppliers Index rose 1.1%. The large-cap indices were up 2.0%, while the R2K rose 1.0%.
• Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. References to GenAI in the press and social media continue to grow rapidly (1), as shown in Figure 1

• Large pharma’s bounce from the mostly ineffective Most- Favored-Nation (MFN) executive order was short-lived, as new CMS draft guidance for Medicare price negotiations threatened certain drug combos.
• President Trump’s MFN executive order lacked a clear plan to lower drug prices, with any immediate moves likely facing legal challenges.
• Listen to the WTR Biotech Flashcast for our MFN take.

• India has restricted 42% of imports from Bangladesh, impacting $770 million worth of goods, mainly garments, as a direct response to Bangladesh’s trade barriers.
• The trade war could severely impact Bangladesh’s economy, especially its export-driven garment sector, while protecting India’s domestic industries.
• The conflict reveals a deeper geopolitical shift, with Bangladesh strengthening ties with China, potentially altering regional trade dynamics in South Asia.

• US stocks declined Tuesday as skepticism grew over the durability of the recent rally fuelled by easing trade tensions
• St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem warning that current tariff levels could still pose significant economic risks
• Seven &i Holdings plans to sell a portion of its Seven Bank shares to ITOCHU Corporation

• Quantum names in play still with D-Wave now 155% MTD should help Socionext as well as upgrade.
• Wolfspeed bankruptcy may be initially negative but ultimately positive for Renesas.
• SK Hynix reportedly getting the contract to supply NAND for Nintendo Swicth2.

• 700 HK/BIDU US: Tencent announced a comprehensive AI technology upgrade for its browser product “QQ Browser” (+/-/-)
• 700 HK: Tencent’s <Final Fantasy 14 Mobile> to Launch Technical Beta Test (+)
• AAPL US/BABA US: Alibaba and Apple’s AI collaboration faces US government scrutiny (-/-)

• Commercial paper outstanding in the US issued by non-financials is at its highest levels in the most recent week, since at least early FY23
• The growth rate of CP outstanding in the US, from companies that make stuff, not banks, is growing at 10% YoY
• This is another indicator of relatively strong underlying economics in the US, like what we see with HFD for US banks with C&I and Other Loans To Non FI’s

• BEKE US- Real Estate : Weekly Property Transaction Update (-)
• 1810 HK: Xiaomi to Launch Self-Developed 3nm Chip and SUV YU7 (+)
• Consumer sector: April Retail Sales Growth Fell Short of Expectations, But Seasonality Still Outperformed Historical Trends (+/+/+)

• Adani Defence partners with Sparton to manufacture indigenous sonobuoys, enhancing India’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Tata Motors Ltd (TTMT IN) is enhancing its EV lineup with new models and product upgrades, aiming to mainstream electric vehicles in India.
• India may benefit from global trade protectionism, with reshoring and energy security boosting manufacturing growth and GDP by 2035.

• ABN AMRO Bank has been informed by NLFI (acting on behalf of the Dutch state) that it has reduced its stake in ABN AMRO to below one-third.
• NLFI is currently executing its trading plan, as announced on 15 October 2024, to reduce its stake in ABN AMRO to approximately 30%.
• With NLFI’s stake falling below one third, several of its rights in the Relationship Agreement will no longer apply. 

• The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 5,963.60, its sixth straight gain, as Treasury yields eased after spiking on Moody’s downgrade
• Nippon Steel plans to invest up to 2 trillion yen in U.S. production if its acquisition of U.S. Steel is approved by the Trump administration.
• 3D Investment Partners, a Singapore-based activist shareholder fund, has increased its stake in Mitsui-Soko Holdings

• AMD & NVIDIA both pocket deals to equip 500MW data centers in Saudi Arabia over the next 5 years. 
• UAE announced plans to build 5GW of data centre capacity with local champion G42 leading the charge. Microsoft and Cerebras were notable by their absence last week. 
• The Middle East deals are good news for US AI/Technology champions however the benefits will likely take years to fully accrue. 

• NVDA opening its AI ecosystem to the likes of Fujitsu and Qualcomm.
• Intel’s make-or-break 18A process Panther lake seems to be well received at first look.
• Toyota announces Y3trn worth of loans for its Y6trn Industries acquisition, removing concerns for raise.

• Each week, I’ll share five intriguing investment ideas that recently caught my attention. These ideas are meant to spark your research and help you kickstart the week ahead with fresh insights.
• Because these ideas are the result of my first-level idea generation process, they require more in depth research. Therefore, the ideas will often be concise, with occasional references to valuable work from other practitioners that I encourage you to explore.
• If you have something fascinating to share that could benefit me and the wider community, don’t hesitate to send it my way—I’d love to hear from you!

• Indusind Bank (IIB IN) flagged a Rs 674 crore interest misstatement in its microfinance business, fully reversing the amount in January.
• ReNew Energy plans a $2.57 billion hybrid solar-wind project in Andhra Pradesh, adding 2.8 GW to India’s clean energy capacity.
• India’s defence budget may receive Rs 50,000 crore boost after Operation Sindoor, taking total allocation past Rs 7 lakh crore.

• Stocks rallied as tech led gains; S&P 500 rose 5.3% for the week, Virgin Galactic jumped 42%, while Novo Nordisk dropped 4% on CEO exit.
• Nikkei dipped slightly to 37,753 yen, pressured by yen appreciation and negative Q1 GDP, while TOPIX rose 0.09%
• Orbis Investments opposes Aeon’s takeover and Welcia merger, criticizing the undervalued 11,400 yen offer and unfair share exchange ratio.

• The HSI has already recovered to 2.2% above the pre-“reciprocal tariff” level, and the top 10 best-performing constituents have registered an average return of 15.6%.
• Despite so, there are still 40 under-performing stocks, with 32 of them remain in the negative zone with an average of 4.8% loss. 
• Among them, ZTO Express Cayman (2057 HK), Budweiser Brewing APAC (1876 HK), BYD Electronics (285 HK), and Meituan (3690 HK) look well-positioned to catch up.

• Pockets of strength in US Tech Friday with Coreweave, SMCI, Micron up with semi-caps generally lower after ASML nos.
• Potential replacements for a NTT Data NKY deletion should continue to find a bid.
• JP retailers J-Front and Matsuya squeezed sharply Friday after social media post highlights activist involvement.

• There is strong and accelerating growth visible in HFD for US banks, even in the very core bucket of C&I loans
• Most recent full month shows 10.1% growth YoY for C&I but Other Loans are up 27.3% Yoy in the same month, which is partly C&I
• Deposit distribution is improving, toward CASA, US banks can see better NIM, and net interest income, while economy appears from weekly bank data

• US Stocks rallied as tech led gains; S&P 500 rose 5.3% for the week, with Nvidia up 16%, Meta 8%, Apple 6%, and Microsoft 3%.
• Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.7% as U.S.-China tariff cuts boosted semiconductors, but gains faded mid-week amid profit-taking, yen strength, and pharma sector declines.
• J. Front Retailing shares rose 22% this week, driven by speculation that an activist investor had taken a stake in the company. Large share buybacks from Sankyo and Glory

• Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine launches Hong Kong IPO to raise ~$1.3B. Wuxi Biologics is selling its drug product plant in Germany to Terumo for €150M.
• Chugai Pharmaceutical got conditional approval in Japan for gene therapy product, Elevidys for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. GC Biopharma dosed first patient in Fabry disease drug trial in Korea.
• Mayne Pharma was hit hard as an ‘untitled letter’ from the FDA related to certain promotional claims used in a speaker presentation for oral contraceptive Nextstellis, was made public.  

• The Indian hotel sector is set for growth, driven by a demand-supply gap with room demand growing 10%, while supply only increased by 7-9%.
• MICE tourism is crucial, contributing 15-20% of hotel revenues, with strong future growth driven by increasing corporate events and international conferences.
• Key growth triggers for Indian Hotels (IH IN) include strategic expansion through capital-light models, while Chalet Hotels Ltd (CHALET IN) focuses on asset-heavy growth and prime location investments.

• Donald Trump claims India proposed a zero-tariff trade deal with the US amid ongoing negotiations during tariff suspension.
• Vodafone Idea (IDEA IN) files fresh Supreme Court plea seeking Rs 30,000 crore waiver on AGR dues amid financial and sector concerns.
• Aditya Birla Real Estate plans Rs 14,000 crore launches in FY26, entering Mumbai redevelopment amid cautious, location-focused business development strategy.

• Chariot (CHAR LN)C: Recovering 75% WI of licences in Morocco – Energean has returned its Moroccan offshore interests to Chariot.
• As a result, Chariot now holds 75% in the Lixus Offshore and Rissana Offshore licences.
• Condor Energies (CDR CN)C; Target price of C$5.90 per share: Acquiring a LNG facility for Kazakhstan to deliver first LNG sale in 2Q26 – 1Q25 production in Uzbekistan was 11,179 boe/d (+6% vs. production in 4Q24).

• AkzoNobel | Akzo Nobel India reports flat 4Q25 result; no news on disposal process Akzo Nobel India reported a relatively flat 4Q25 profit on Wednesday, due to weak demand and rising costs.
• The consolidated net profit fell 0.3% to 1.08 billion rupees (USD 12.6m) in the quarter ended March 31.
• Akzo Nobel India’s revenue from operations rose 5% to 10.22 billion rupees. Total operating costs were up 6% to 8.87 billion rupees, largely due to a 5.2%, a surge raw material costs.

• With another US-listed China play subject to an Offer – Dada Nexus (DADA US) – what exactly is the process for dissentient shareholders to dissent?
• Do they need to vote Against, For, or Abstain? Or not at all? The short answer: in the Cayman Islands, there are no restrictions on how a dissenter can vote.
• This insight is a bolt on to my ongoing series on appraisal rights in the privatisation of a Cayman Islands companies listed in the U.S.

• The S&P 500 rose 0.4% for a fourth straight gain while the Nasdaq fell 0.2%, as investors rotated into defensive dividend stocks amid concerns of overheating
• Meta fell on delays to its AI rollout, and Applied Materials gave a weak forecast after hours. Walmart posted strong results but warned of price hikes from tariffs
• Kyocera faces pressure from Oasis Management to improve profitability through a 1,000 billion yen share buyback

• Ai plays generally down, with AMAT after mkt dulling sentiment further, despite looking conservative.
• Kioxia numbers look decent, but QoQ guidance is down on FX, with no follow through for Sandisk in the US.
• Woeful price action for Kyocera yesterday despite an activist win, with the market still cautious over management bungling.

• Growth expectations have come down, 2025 now expected flat YoY  1) China, Auto & Industrial Capex declining 2) Intel inflated Capex is deflating 3) capacity add only from HBM, AI 
• The big structural positives continue (HBM, GAA, BSPD, High NA). This means higher Capex intensity. From 3nm to 14A, Capex doubles.  Wafer price doubles. 
• The risk is to overestimate demand: who can afford chips 2x more expensive? Chips that generate revenue or lower costs, ie chips that run applications in Data Centers

• India surpasses Japan as Asia’s top market in Bank of America survey, driven by strong infrastructure growth and rising consumption.
• Tata Motors Ltd (TTMT IN) plans to boost EV sales with new models like Harrier.ev and Sierra.ev, targeting a recovery in FY26.
• Tata Steel Ltd (TATA IN) plans a INR 15,000 crore capex in FY26, with 80% allocated to domestic projects, including decarbonization efforts.

• Reprieve on the tariff front gives investors the opportunity to sell/short.
• Despite market action, a global slowdown and a US recession are still on the cards.
• We look at some stocks that will not perform well in this environment.

• High-end liquor maker Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd. (600519.SH -0.59%) is prioritizing cultural adaptation as it pushes for a global expansion, a top executive said at a Caixin forum.
• Speaking at the inaugural Caixin London Atlantic Dialogue on Thursday, Deputy Communist Party Secretary You Yalin emphasized that the state-run firm is leveraging its branded cultural events — “Moutai Night” and “Moutai Culture Festival” — to expand further into global markets. He said that while drinking customs vary around the world, one common thread is alcohol facilitating connections between people.
• Moutai is best-known for its eponymous brand of “baijiu,” a traditional Chinese spirit. Moutai’s high-end baijiu, which can cost thousands of yuan a bottle, is often present at diplomatic events such as state banquets.

• 1211 HK: BYD’s New K-Car Spotted in Spy Shots (+)
• 1211 HK/ZK US/AITO: Week 19 (May 5–11, 2025) Sales Rankings(+/+/+)
• LKNCY US: Mixue Group Signs RMB4 Billion Brazil Coffee Bean Purchase Deal(-)

• BABA US: Alibaba’s Qwen Team to Launch AGI-like Deep Research Functionality for Free User Access(+)
• BABA US: Ele.me’s Retail Digital System Integrated into Taobao Instashopping (+)
• JD US/3690 HK: JD, Meituan, Ele.me Summoned by Government (///)

• The sweeping U.S. tariff policy targeting low-value parcels from China has upended cross-border e-commerce operations, forcing platforms such as Temu and Shein to pull fully managed listings and scramble to rework their logistics strategies.
• PDD Holdings Inc.’s Temu, a pioneer of the full-consignment model — where goods are shipped directly from China to American buyers — now lists only “local warehouse” or semi-managed products on its site and app. Fully managed items are marked “out of stock,” and one Temu seller told Caixin their U.S. storefront was automatically suspended by the platform.
• The disruption follows Donald Trump’s presidential order, signed on April 9, imposing harsh tariffs on small parcels from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. The directive mandates either a 120% ad valorem duty or a $100 flat fee per package, with the latter set to double to $200 from June 1.

• US stocks ended mixed Wednesday as tech strength lifted the Nasdaq 0.7% for a sixth straight gain
• Qatar Airways agreed to buy up to 210 Boeing jets worth $96 billion during Trump’s visit, marking a major win for the U.S. plane maker.
• Sony Group forecasts operating profit of 1.28 trillion yen, up 0.3%, for the fiscal year ending March 2026, including a 100 billion yen tariff impact. 

• SMCI signs a major $20bn deal with Saudi Arabia’s DataVolt sending server related names higher and should be positive for cooling module supplier Nidec.  
• NVDA backed CoreWeave surging as much +10% after hours after numbers and comments from management show a continued demand acceleration for AI infrastructure.
• Boeing signed its largest deal ever with Qatar airlines for up to 210 widebody planes, with GE Aerospace also locking in an order for 400 engines.  Positive JP Heavies.  

• MFN policy aims to align US drug prices with the lowest prices paid by other developed nations, potentially resulting in significant price reductions.
• Indian pharma players have limited impact, considering only few companies have notable presence in branded markets
• Repercussions for pharma are wider in terms of potential lower R&D spend along with squeezed margins. Though implementation of policy key moniterable

• Biopharma was heavily pressured by the appointment of Dr. Vinay Prasad as the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) head and concerns over Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) drug pricing.
• The group is again wary of the FDA with Prasad overseeing the regulation of biologics, including vaccines, cell and gene therapies, and blood supply.
• While not anti-vaccine, Prasad’s ideology is closer to RFK Jr. than former CBER head Peter Marks.

• De-escalatory movement on tariff policy benefited furniture and furnishings stocks.
• The WTR Commercial/Contract Furniture Index was up 6.5%, the Residential Manufacturers & Suppliers Index was up 2.1%, and the Home Goods Retailers Index was up 2.0%, beating the large- cap indices and the R2K.
• From modernism to hygge and eco-consciousness at IKEA (1). The core business model remains the same (edited vignettes to showcase design and make it easy to outfit an entire house, ready-to-assemble furniture to cut down on logistics and manufacturing costs), but as FT’s architecture and design critic notes, the aesthetics continue to evolve, tracking important social and generational shifts.

• The WTR Sustainable Index was up 1.3% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (down 0.5%), the Russell 2000 Index (up 0.1%), and the Nasdaq Index (down 0.2%).
• Energy Technology (12.1% of the index) was up 4.2%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (47.6% of the index) was up 0.5%, ClimateTech Mining was up 1.7%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions (21.5% of the index) was up 1.3%.
• Top 10 Performers: AZRE, AEVA, GCEH, HLGN, ALLIF, PEV, SHLS, EAF, RUN, EVGO

• Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) surpassed Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in Nifty-500 shareholding for the first time in March 2025, signalling a market shift.
• We delve into their sectoral bets, where both FII and DII flows moved in unfiorm direction
• This shift means more sustainable flows for Indian markets, which can cushion them during a volatile environment.

• The Nasdaq jumped 1.61% to 19,010, driven by a 5.6% surge in Nvidia after news it would supply 18,000 AI chips to Saudi Arabia
• Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a “strategic economic partnership” deal. White House announced a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia into the U.S. economy
• April’s CPI showed consumer prices rising at a 2.3% annual rate, the slowest since February 2021, indicating cooling inflation; the report preceded Trump’s tariff pause.

• Global semiconductor sales for the month of March 2025 amounted to $55.9 billion, up 1.8% MoM and up 21.8% YoY
• TSMC last week announced that revenue for the month of April amounted to NT$349.57 billion, up 22.2% MoM, up 48.1% YoY and a all time record monthly high
• The latest monthly Taiwan semi revenues show little signs of a semi slowdown. Lagging edge remains sluggish, wafer inventories are still too high but leading edge continues to rule

• Trump whipping up interest in all things AI and data center over his state visit to Saudi.
• Pharma giving back yesterdays rebound with risks remaining over Trump’s planned pricing cuts.
• Kokusai Electric may continue moving higher post-numbers  as a potential NKY225 inclusion candidate.

Each week, I’ll share five intriguing investment ideas that recently caught my attention. These ideas are meant to spark your research and help you kickstart the week ahead with fresh insights.

Because these ideas are the result of my first-level idea generation process, they require more in depth research. Therefore, the ideas will often be concise, with occasional references to valuable work from other practitioners that I encourage you to explore.

If you have something fascinating to share that could benefit me and the wider community, don’t hesitate to send it my way—I’d love to hear from you!

• BEKE US: Post-May Holiday Slowdown in Existing Home Transactions, Stabilized New Home Sales. (/)
• 1810 HK : Several Xiaomi Car Owners Demand Refunds (-)
• ZK US: Zeekr Launches Channel Reform, Introduces Agent-Based Partnership Model(+)

• A 90-day mutual tariff rollback between the U.S. and China has boosted global sentiment, with iron ore futures jumping nearly 3% on hopes of eased trade friction.
• Consumer and producer prices in China continued to fall in April, highlighting persistent deflationary pressures and unresolved structural challenges despite ongoing policy support. 
• Portside iron ore inventories fell in early May, suggesting robust mill demand and potential price support, though risks remain if end-user consumption fails to keep pace. 

• One search on Google Gemini or ChatGPT in terms of watts is 10 times more intensive than a plain Google search today.
• AI is fueling energy demand, which currently accounts for just 1.5% of total demand, may outpace the growth of energy demand for all the sectors
• AI, along with data centres, can also be utilised in effective use of energy

• JD US/3690 HK:Both JD and Metiuan Raise Standards for Premium Food Delivery (+)
• 700 HK/1024 HK: Tencent Releases Multimodal Video Generation AI Model Hunyuan Custom (+/-)
• BILI US: Bilibili Launches New AI Advertising Tool “Insight Agent” (+)