Alpha

📉 Softline has reduced its workforce by 7.2% over the past three quarters. The company plans to continue optimizing its employee count this year by gradually automating and robotizing functions. For more details, visit Forbes. For additional updates, check MT in MAX.

🌟 The first licensed Hong Kong stablecoin, HKDAP (“HKD At Par”), pegged to the Hong Kong dollar and deployed on Ethereum, has successfully completed its testing phase. The official launch is scheduled for the end of the second quarter of 2026.

⚠️🇺🇸 JPMorgan is seeking to mitigate risks by negotiating with investors for the sale of over $4 billion in private credit assets from its balance sheet. This move comes as Warren Buffett has indicated he is closely monitoring the banking sector for signs of a crisis spreading from private equity, where many large credit funds are currently limiting withdrawals amid significant outflows.

⚠️✴️ Outflows from spot BTC ETFs have persisted for four consecutive days, with overall outflows also indicating a decline, according to Farside. MT in MAX

⚠️ The number of individual entrepreneurs declaring bankruptcy through courts in Russia surged nearly 30% in the first quarter, according to Vedomosti. This rise is attributed to several factors, including high key interest rates, a decline in consumer demand, and increased tax burdens. For more details, visit Vedomosti. For market insights, check MT in MAX.

⚠️🇮🇷 No final agreement between the U.S. and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, has been announced "in the coming hours," contrary to reports from Al Arabiya. RTRS reports that disagreements persist.

⚠️🇺🇦 The United States has approved a $108 million sale of equipment for the HAWK missile defense system to Ukraine.

🚨 The Pentagon has suspended a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan. This decision comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region. For more information, visit here.

🇨🇳🇰🇿🇷🇺 The Chairman of the National People's Congress of China will visit Russia and Kazakhstan from May 25 to May 30, according to Xinhua.

⚠️🇳🇿 Analysts predict that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will raise interest rates by the end of the third quarter of 2026, according to a survey conducted by RTRS.

❗️🇯🇵 Japan's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for April shows month-on-month inflation at +0.1%, below expectations of +0.5% and a prior rate of +0.4%. Year-on-year, the CPI increased by +1.4%, also falling short of the anticipated +1.8% and slightly up from the previous +1.5%. The core CPI matched the year-on-year increase of +1.4%, which was below the expected +1.7% and down from +1.8% previously.

🌎 The current exchange rates show USDCNY at 6.8 and USDTRUB at 74.4.