business news
‘We are facing the biggest energy security threat in history,’ IEA chief tells CNBC
“We are facing the biggest energy security threat in history,” Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told CNBC Thursday. “As of today, we’ve lost 13 million barrels per day of oil … and there are major disruptions in vital commodities,” he told Steve Sedgwick virtually at CNBC’s CONVERGE LIVE in Singapore. Birol […]
Read More
L’Oreal stock pops 8% after ‘impressive’ earnings
Shares of the world’s largest cosmetics company L’Oreal popped as much as 10% after it reported strong growth ahead of expectations after the bell on Wednesday. Organic sales growth in the first quarter was 7.6%, compared to expectations of around 3%, according to analysts. Underlying growth was “very impressive,” said Barclays analysts. “Cosmetics markets growth of […]
Read More
Microsoft expands AI footprint in Australia with $18 billion investment
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 23: Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella speaks on stage during the Microsoft AI Tour at TikTok Entertainment Centre on April 23, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. Nadella, making his first visit to Australia since 2019, addressed business leaders, developers, and government representatives at the Microsoft AI Tour in Sydney on […]
Read More
Justin Trudeau tells CNBC that international organizations may no longer be fit for purpose. Watch live
Canada’s former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at CNBC’s CONVERGE LIVE in Singapore Thursday that international financial institutions were “spectacularly ill-adjusted” to respond to modern day issues. “You can look to different places around the world to realize that those institutions, whether it was the WTO or the IMF or what have you, aren’t necessarily […]
Read More
CNBC Daily Open: Markets cheer ceasefire — but hostilities continue
A commercial vessel is seen off the coast of Dubai on April 20, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images Hello, this is Hui Jie writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open. A ceasefire, in theory, is supposed to do one thing: stop the hostilities. The version unfolding in […]
Read More
Microsoft looked at buying Cursor before SpaceX deal, sources say
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during the Microsoft AI Tour event in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 25, 2026. Sven Hoppe | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Prior to SpaceX’s announcement this week that it’s obtained the right to acquire Cursor for $60 billion, Microsoft looked at a potential deal for the AI coding startup, according […]
Read More
South Korea economic growth roared past estimates in Q1, thanks to chips
A screen displays the closing figure of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inside a trading room at Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, on April 8, 2026. Hwawon Lee | Anadolu | Getty Images South Korea’s economy beat expectations in the first quarter of 2026 to record the fastest growth since mid-2020, as booming semiconductor demand offset the drag of weak public spending, central bank […]
Read More
Meta is tracking employee keystrokes on Google, LinkedIn, Wikipedia as part of AI training initiative
Google, LinkedIn and Wikipedia are among hundreds of websites and apps where Meta plans to capture employee keystrokes and mouse clicks as part of a project to train its artificial intelligence models, according to internal messages viewed by CNBC. A new employee tracking tool, dubbed Model Capability Initiative (MCI), allows Meta to observe and collect […]
Read More
Asia markets open higher as Iran ceasefire extension lifts mood
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened broadly higher Thursday, tracking U.S. stocks, which rose overnight after President Donald Trump’s extension of the Iran ceasefire helped to buoy investor sentiment, while upbeat earnings reports also lifted sentiment. Trump extended a two-week U.S. ceasefire on Tuesday, saying it was warranted due to Tehran’s “seriously […]
Read More
Step aside Tesla, BYD: Japanese carmakers deepen their hold on India’s auto market with hybrids
Hello, this is Priyanka Salve, writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to the latest edition of “Inside India“ — your one-stop destination for stories and developments from the world’s fastest growing large economy. Indian consumers’ desire to shift away from gasoline-based cars should have been Tesla and BYD’s moment to shine in the world’s third-largest auto market. […]
Read More