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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Sunday newspaper round-up: Saudi oil output, Asos, 35-year mortgages

(Sharecast News) - Saudi unveiled plans at the weekend to reduce its oil output by 1m barrels per day in a surprise unilateral decision. The move was to take effect from July. The decision came as Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, was due to travel to Saudi Arabia over the following week. It also followed a meeting between members marred by disagreements, although the Russian and UAE energy ministers denied talk of any split with Saudi. OPEC+ meanwhile did agree to prolong the voluntary cuts announced in April until the end of 2024. The cartel and its allies were to meet again in November and plans might change. - The Sunday Telegraph Asos received a £1bn takeover offer from Turkish rival Trendyol in late December, according to City sources. Among the Turkish outfit's backers was Chinese online retailing giant Alibaba. The offer would have valued Asos at £10-12 per share, against a closing price last Friday of £3.5. There were however no live talks and both companies declined to commit. Recently, leading credit insurers had demured from providing cover for its suppliers or reduced the same. a decision that could squeeze its cash flow. - The Sunday Times

A record proportion, or 19%, of first-time homebuyers were taking out 35-year mortgages and more in the wake of soaring costs. That was the highest share since 2005, when records began, and twice the 9% seen in December 2021. The average age of a first time buyer was now 32, according to Halifax, meaning that many persons' intention was to continue borrowing until the end of their work life and even into retirement. - The Sunday Telegraph

Sky's UK boss believes the country is entering a 'golden age' of film and television. Spend on both combined hit a record £6.2bn in 2022, which was £1.83bn more than before Covid. Furthermore, just last month ministers promised additional support as part of a strategy to add over 1m jobs in creative industries over the next decade. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

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Friday newspaper round-up: Amazon, Barclays, Epstein
(Sharecast News) - Amazon announced plans to spend $200bn on artificial intelligence and robotics this year, the latest tech giant to vow fresh enormous investments in the artificial intelligence arms race. The news of the investment comes one day after the Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced it was cutting approximately a third of employees. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: Bond markets, Nike, ElevenLabs
(Sharecast News) - A government minister has defended long delays to a military spending plan that are also stalling the UK's next-generation Tempest fighter jet programme, but refused to say when it will be complete. The defence investment plan (DIP), originally expected last autumn, has faced repeated postponements amid warnings that the military faces a £28bn funding gap over the next four years. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Migration, women in tech, mini-nukes
(Sharecast News) - The UK economy would be 3.6% smaller by 2040 if net migration fell to zero, forcing the government to raise taxes to combat a much bigger budget deficit, a thinktank has predicted. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said falling birthrates in the UK and a sharp decrease in net migration last year had led it to consider what would happen if this trend continued to the end of the decade. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Riverford, US investment, Publicis
(Sharecast News) - Consumers searching for healthy food from trusted sources have fuelled the UK organic market's biggest boom in two decades, according to vegetable box seller Riverford. The delivery business, which sells meat, cheese, cookbooks and recipe boxes alongside vegetables, recorded a 6% increase in sales to £117m in the year to May 2025, as the UK organic food and drink market grew by almost 9% in that year, according to new figures from the Soil Association. The strong growth, significantly outpacing the wider food market, helped the employee-owned business give a £1.1m bonus to workers. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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