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Trade Wars
China January Manufacturing PMI Sinks to 49.3, Below Expectations
China’s manufacturing activity contracted in January as weak domestic demand weighed on production, according to official data released Saturday. The official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 49.3 in January from 50.1 in December, dropping below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. The reading missed analysts’ forecast of 50.1. Sub-indexes measuring new orders and new export orders also declined. New orders dropped to 49.2 from 50.8 in December, while new export orders fell to 47.8 from 49.0.
The non-manufacturing PMI, which covers services and construction sectors, decreased to 49.4 from 50.2 in December, reaching its lowest level since December 2022. China’s economy met the government’s official growth target of 5% last year, supported by strong exports that withstood pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff measures. Retail sales continued to weaken in the final quarter of 2025, contributing to fourth-quarter GDP growth falling to a three-year low.
Read more at Investing.com
Lilly Announces New $3.5 Billion Manufacturing Site in Pennsylvania
As part of a $27 billion commitment to boost U.S. domestic production, Eli Lilly on Friday announced plans to invest more than $3.5 billion in a new manufacturing facility in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania that will produce its next-generation obesity therapies — including investigational drug retatrutide. Construction of the Lehigh Valley site, located in Fogelsville, is expected to start in 2026 and is slated to be operational in 2031. The capital expenditure project will be Lilly’s newest injectable medicine and device manufacturing facility, which is meant to increase access to its weight loss drugs and improve the domestic supply, according to the announcement.
The new site, Lilly's tenth U.S. manufacturing facility announced since 2020, will leverage technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, integrated monitoring, as well as data analytics. The drugmaker said it will “partner with local universities and invest in education across Pennsylvania” to develop the talent required to operate the facility — in addition to generating 2,000 construction jobs. Lilly plans to create 850 high-value jobs including engineers, scientists, operations personnel, and lab technicians.
Read more at Pharma Manufacturing
Palantir Q4 Earnings Beat Wall Street Estimates On Strong Sales To US Businesses
Palantir posted fourth quarter earnings and revenue above Wall Street’s expectations on Monday, bolstered by sales to the Trump administration and US businesses. The company’s revenue surged 70% from the year-earlier period to $1.4 billion, ahead of the $1.3 billion expected by Wall Street analysts tracked by Bloomberg. Its adjusted earnings per share rose to $0.25 from $0.14 during the previous year, above the projected $0.23.
Palantir’s first quarter revenue guidance of $1.5 billion was also higher than the $1.3 billion estimated by analysts. And its full-year revenue outlook of roughly $7.2 billion was above the expected $6.3 billion. The firm’s outperformance in the fourth quarter was boosted by its domestic sales. Palantir’s US commercial revenue surged 137% to $507 million, greater than the $479 million projected, and its US government revenue jumped 66% to $570 million, more than analysts’ estimate of $522 million for the segment.
Read more at Yahoo Finance
Global Software Stocks Hit By Anthropic Wake-Up Call On AI Disruption
A deep selloff in global software stocks entered a second day on Wednesday, reflecting growing concerns about how advances in artificial intelligence might impact these companies' livelihoods. European data analytics, professional services and software stocks fell further, following declines in shares in rivals around the world, after Anthropic's new legal artificial intelligence model served a fresh reminder of the threat to those companies whose business models are seen as most vulnerable to potential AI disruption.
JP Morgan analyst Toby Ogg said investors’ main concerns centred on longer-term growth assumptions, issues that extend well beyond standard three‑year forecast horizons. “All innovation means there is going to be disruption at some point, and we appear to be at a significant point in that journey for software and IT services companies," said Ben Barringer, head of technology research at Quilter Cheviot. “There is a lot of uncertainty around exactly what AI agents can do, and as such, investors are choosing to shun the software market altogether, leaving nowhere to hide.”
Read more at Reuters
GM Preps $30M Workforce Training Program
General Motors outlined a $30-million program of workforce training initiatives for employees at its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan., to prepare for new vehicle programs and “to ensure our people stay at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing,” according to the automaker. It’s unknown if the automaker plans to initiate similar programs at other locations. According to GM, its strategy is to support current and future employees with K‑12 STEM/STEAM education and apprenticeship programs, tuition assistance, and advanced technical on-the-job training.
The training is keyed to Fairfax Assembly plant’s planned transition from currently producing electric vehicles to future addition of internal combustion engine vehicle programs. Currently, Fairfax produces the Chevrolet Bolt EV, and will be the site of the internal combustion engine Chevrolet Equinox starting in 2027. It’s also the destination of a Buick compact SUV that GM is onshoring from its SAIC General Motors joint-venture operation in China.
Read more at American Machinist
Waymo Raises $16B In Major Funding Round
Robotaxi operator Waymo has closed on a $16 billion funding round, bringing its post-money valuation to $126 billion, the company announced in a blog post Monday. The funding round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global and Sequoia Capital, but also included significant funding from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Mubadala Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Silver Lake, Tiger Global and T. Rowe Price, per the release.
The major influx of new capital comes as Waymo continues to scale its commercial autonomous ride-hailing business. The company said it tripled its annual volume to 15 million rides in 2025 and now provides 400,000 paid rides per week in six major U.S. metro areas. Waymo spun out of Google’s self-driving car project in December 2016 and is widely considered to be the leading developer of autonomous driving technology with the financial backing of Google (now Alphabet Inc.) over the years. The company also maintains a strong focus on safety. To date, Waymo said its robotaxi fleet has logged over 127 million miles of fully autonomous operation and achieved a 90% reduction in serious injury crashes.
Read more at Ward’s Auto
Thinking Ahead: SpaceX Merges With xAI In Bid To Launch AI Data Centers In Space
Elon Musk’s SpaceX acquired the billionaire’s artificial intelligence startup xAI, according to a Monday statement, consolidating two Musk-owned companies under one roof. Musk said the acquisition would be the first step in bringing data centers, which are needed to train and develop artificial intelligence, to space, saying electricity demand for AI on Earth “cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment.”
The merger brings xAI and its subsidiary social media platform X under the SpaceX banner, with Musk already the CEO of the aerospace firm and AI startup. Musk estimated in the next two to three years, the most cost-effective way to build processing power for AI will be in space, claiming the use of near-constant solar power would involve “little operating or maintenance costs.” A recent Reuters report noted xAI shares could be exchanged for shares in SpaceX under the deal, adding some xAI executives may have the option to receive cash instead of SpaceX stock.
Read more at Forbes
University Of Rochester Receives Record $111 Million In Federal Money For Laser Lab
The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics will receive $111 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2026, marking the largest annual funding level in the laboratory’s history. The funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration represents a 17 percent increase over the previous year and was approved by both houses of Congress before President Donald Trump signed it into law. The money will support operations from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
The laboratory serves as a key facility for studying high-energy-density physics and laser-driven fusion. The funding will enable researchers to develop diagnostics, experimental platforms and laser technologies while working with scientists at national laboratories and universities. Christopher Deeney, LLE director, said the investment will preserve and modernize the facility to meet research needs through the 2040s. “LLE is home to the largest lasers at an academic institution in the world and serves as the nation’s premier laser user facility,” Deeney said. “It will strengthen our ability to support the nation’s national security missions for NNSA, while expanding opportunities for scientific discovery and training for students.”
Read more at Syracuse.com
Boeing Set To Upgrade S. Korea's F-15K
On 31st January, the US Department of War announced it has awarded a $2.8 billion “hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee and fixed-priced incentive undefinitized contract for F-15K ‘Slam Eagle’ Republic of Korea aircraft upgrades.” The contract provides for the design and development of an “integrated suite of aircraft systems to support modification of the F-15K aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force and Defense Acquisition Program Administration.”
The work will be carried out at Boeing’s plant in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to run until the end of 2037 or around 13 years. The F-15Ks were originally built at St. Louis. The contract is through the Foreign Military Sales. According to the news release, the contracting activity is the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The US Air Force says “F-15K Slam Eagle is the newest variant of the combat-proven F-15E, equipped with the latest technological upgrades.”
Read more at Aerospace Global News
Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Could Cut Commercial Shipping Emissions
Nuclear power isn't just for naval ships anymore as demonstrated by the Nuclear Propulsion in merchant Shipping (NuProShip II) project led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology which is looking at fitting nuclear reactors to heavy-duty commercial vessels. The shipping industry is committed to reducing these emissions as much as possible but there is an elephant-sized problem standing in the way. Shipping depends on heavy fuel oil and alternatives like green ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol fall short because these fuels are not available in sufficient quantities. Worse, the electricity that would be required to create enough green ammonia or hydrogen would exceed the total electricity production capacity of the world.
To overcome this, the consortium behind the NuProShip II project is looking at how to fit Gen IV small modular nuclear reactors to heavy commercial vessels. The project’s demonstrator concept is based on a 120-m (394-ft) Vard 3 offshore subsea construction vessel, designed by Fincantieri subsidiary Vard. The idea is to come up with a simple, safe, self-contained reactor that can either be installed in a new ship or retrofitted to existing craft without having to rip out the gubbins from the engine room.
Read more at New Atlas
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