Flash News

TREE NEWS update: India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the country’s stock market offers foreign portfolio investors an easier exit route due to ample liquidity, speaking on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank meetings in Bangkok on Friday. She said people can exit easily because of abundant liquidity and easy access to funds, while adding that the fundamentals of the Indian economy are in good shape.

TREE NEWS update: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the evening of October 19 that he had ordered the Israeli military, the Mossad intelligence service and the military intelligence directorate to “topple the Iranian regime.” In an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s public support, saying Trump’s position was “very clear” that the core task is to eliminate the existential threat Iran poses to Israel.

TREE NEWS reports: Elon Musk may donate his SpaceX shares to American children through the “Trump Accounts” program, according to a single-sentence statement with no further details on timing, amount or mechanics. The report did not specify how the donation would be structured or which children would be eligible. SpaceX is a private company, and Musk is its largest shareholder.

TREE NEWS reports: The Federal Reserve’s overnight reverse repurchase agreement (RRP) facility recorded $330 million in usage on Monday, October 19, with seven counterparties, up from $100 million in the previous trading session. The RRP facility is a key tool the Fed uses to help manage short-term interest rates and absorb excess liquidity from the financial system.

TREE NEWS update: Citadel has hired former BP trader Brian Taylor to trade refined products, as the hedge fund giant continues to expand its commodities presence. Taylor will take on a European role at the firm. The move adds refined-products expertise to Citadel’s growing commodities business.

TREE NEWS reports: International copper fell 0.34% in overnight trading, while Shanghai copper lost 0.26% and Shanghai aluminum gained 0.41%. Shanghai zinc slipped 0.08%, Shanghai lead rose 0.59%, Shanghai nickel climbed 1.18% and Shanghai tin added 0.61%. Alumina dropped 0.3%, aluminum alloy was flat and stainless steel rose 0.71%.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the afternoon of the 19th that use of Starlink and Starshield by Ukrainian forces at multiple frontline locations remains restricted, hampering logistics command and combat operations. Zelensky cited a report from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Drapatyi in a social media post.

TREE NEWS update: France’s government announced a curfew covering Place de la République and the Les Halles district in Paris, effective from 20:00 GMT. The measure applies to both areas.

TREE NEWS update: Republican U.S. Representative Miller said the White House should not exempt Russia from sanctions. The lawmaker’s statement comes as Washington weighs sanctions policy toward Moscow. Miller did not elaborate on which measures or exemptions he was referring to.

TREE NEWS reports: LME copper closed $68 lower at $14,339 a ton, while nickel rose $166 to $15,529 and tin gained $455 to $50,839. Cobalt dropped $1,085 to $34,620, the steepest decline among the metals. Aluminum added $15 to $3,016, zinc rose $22 to $3,714 and lead edged up $7 to $1,896.

TREE NEWS update: An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader said claims that the Strait of Hormuz is open are baseless, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported. The remark rejects assertions that the strategic waterway remains open, without further detail on shipping or transit conditions.

TREE NEWS update: Yemen’s Houthi movement said on October 19 it carried out six military operations against Saudi Arabia in the past 48 hours, using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. The statement said Saudi forces launched more than 200 airstrikes and missile attacks on civilian sites in Sanaa and other areas in the same period, causing dozens of casualties, mostly women and children. It said total strikes since Saudi escalation began exceed 2,700.

TREE NEWS reports: Federal Reserve economists Sriya Anbil, Sebastian Infante and Zeynep Senyuz said the federal funds market remains a key window into the health of the U.S. banking system despite significant structural changes since the 2008 financial crisis. In a paper, the researchers wrote that the key insight is that who is lending matters as much as how much is being lent.

TREE NEWS reports: S&P Global estimates that the world’s largest technology companies may be carrying more AI-related liabilities than currently disclosed, though its chief industry analyst said no credit ratings need adjusting for now. Debt issued by AI infrastructure providers and so-called neocloud companies, including Nvidia-backed CoreWeave, has fallen to stressed levels in recent weeks amid concerns over aggressive borrowing.

TREE NEWS reports: Goldman Sachs lifted its end-2026 copper price forecast to $14,700 per tonne from $13,735, the bank said. The revision marks a roughly 7% increase to its previous target for the metal at the end of that year.

TREE NEWS update: Five patients previously hospitalized in St. Petersburg on suspicion of mpox have all been confirmed infected with the virus, the Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital said on the 19th. The hospital said the five patients are in stable condition with mild to moderate symptoms and are continuing to receive treatment.

TREE NEWS update: About 10,000 people gathered outside Japan’s National Diet in Tokyo on the evening of the 19th to protest the Takaichi government’s military expansion and moves to revise the constitution, calling for peace. Protesters chanted slogans including “stop deploying long-range missiles” and “Takaichi step down now.” Organizers said more than 300 solidarity events were held elsewhere across Japan the same day.

TREE NEWS reports: Ivanhoe Electric Inc. is in talks with potential buyers for copper from its Santa Cruz mining project in Arizona, CEO Taylor Melvin said, as rapid data center and power grid expansion drives demand for the metal. The company has drawn interest from traditional traders and potential strategic partners seeking supply for U.S. industry, though Melvin declined to identify the parties. Shares rose as much as 3% intraday on Monday.

TREE NEWS reports: JPMorgan expects a traditional 60/40 portfolio of stocks and bonds to deliver an annual return of 7% over the next 10 to 15 years. The bank’s projection covers the blended equity-and-fixed-income allocation widely used as a benchmark by long-term investors.

TREE NEWS reports: Bitcoin failed to rally alongside equities as a sell wall at $83,000 kept the largest cryptocurrency in a tight trading range. The rejection came as US bond yields reversed higher, pressuring risk assets. BTC’s price action showed no improvement even as stock markets moved higher.