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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.

Wednesday newspaper round-up: Unsecured household debts, Space Forge, Nvidia

(Sharecast News) - UK households are expected to rack up extra unsecured debts of more than £1,600 this year, including on loans and credit cards, as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, according to a TUC analysis. The TUC said its analysis showed that unsecured household debt - including loans and credit cards but excluding mortgages and, for this exercise, student loans - was on course to increase by 9.4%, or £1,660, in real terms on average per household this year. - Guardian A marine conservation group has initiated legal action against the UK government, claiming the Conservatives' decision to issue North Sea oil and gas licences without taking into account their impact on the environment was unlawful. Oceana UK, part of an international conservation organisation, said that in issuing 82 licences, Claire Coutinho, the secretary of state for energy security, and the North Sea Transition Authority, ignored advice from independent government experts about the potential effects on marine protected areas (MPAs). - Guardian

A British start-up that is preparing to launch robot factories into space has secured funding from the Nato alliance's $1.1bn (£870m) investment fund. Cardiff-based Space Forge wants to put satellites into orbit and use the low-gravity conditions to make crystals for cutting-edge microchips, as well as new medicines and super-alloys. The satellites would be the first in the world to be reusable, returning to Earth by unfurling a "Mary Poppins-style" umbrella upon completing their task. - Telegraph

Nvidia Corporation, the maker of chips used to power artificial intelligence, has overtaken Microsoft and Apple to become the world's most valuable public company. Shares in the chip-maker closed up 3.5 per cent, or $4.60, at $135.58, lifting its market valuation to about $3.35 trillion. The rally dethroned Microsoft from the top spot as investors bet on Nvidia continuing to play a central role in the AI market. - The Times

Smaller listed companies are increasingly going back to operating with all-male boards, according to newly published evidence described as "profoundly shocking" by campaigners for gender diversity in the boardroom. The number of companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market, or Aim, with no women on the board has jumped this year by 73 per cent from 108 to 187. That means all-male boards are running 35 per cent of all companies on the junior market, up from 18 per cent in 2023, according to the analysis from WB Directors, a consultancy and networking group. - The Times

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Thursday newspaper round-up: Solar panels, OBR, Chevron
(Sharecast News) - California's home-insurance safety net does not have enough money to pay all of the claims from damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires and has asked private insurers to contribute $1bn toward those claims. All private insurers operating in California are required to contribute to the Fair plan, a plan of last resort established so all Californians would have access to fire insurance. More than 450,000 California homeowners got their insurance through the Fair plan in 2024 - more than double the number in 2020. As of 4 February, the plan had received more than 4,700 claims from the Palisades and Eaton fires, almost half of which were for "total losses". - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: British economy, Heathrow, FOS
(Sharecast News) - The British economy is on course to expand by 1.5% this year after the budget gave a boost to public spending but could be blown off course if Donald Trump goes ahead with threatened tariffs, a leading economic thinktank has warned. In a boost to Rachel Reeves after a bruising month of negative economic figures, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) upped its annual growth prediction from 1.2% to 1.5%. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: OpenAI, EVs, gas prices
(Sharecast News) - Elon Musk escalated his feud with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman on Monday. The billionaire is leading a consortium of investors that announced it had submitted a bid of $97.4bn for "all assets" of the artificial intelligence company to OpenAI's board of directors. The startup, which operates ChatGPT, has been working to restructure itself away from its original non-profit status. OpenAI also operates a for-profit subsidiary, and Musk's unsolicited offer could complicate the company's plans. The Wall Street Journal first reported the proposed bid. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Service charge, BP, Heathrow, Elon Musk
(Sharecast News) - An increasingly complex tax system is burdening the government and businesses with hundreds of millions of pounds more in administration costs, Whitehall's spending watchdog has warned. The report by the National Audit Office (NAO) also said "poor levels of service" meant some taxpayers and their representatives were "finding it more difficult to deal with their tax matters and are losing trust in HM Revenue & Customs [HMRC]". - 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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