Air Liquide Q2 Sales Growth Tops Forecast as Electronics Business Drives Strong Performance 
Tech Stock Positioning Nears Neutral as Investor Rotation Enters Final Phase, Deutsche Bank Says 
Galp Shares Fall After Q2 EBITDA Miss Despite Profit Beat and Higher Dividend 
Rio Tinto Stock Jumps as Strong Earnings, Higher Dividend and AI Metal Demand Boost Outlook 
Exosens H1 Profit Beats Forecasts as Defense Demand Drives Growth 
GSK Unveils $2.52 Billion Cost-Cutting Plan to Accelerate Drug Pipeline 
Sika Raises 2026 Sales Outlook After Strong First-Half Results Beat Expectations 
CXMT IPO Debut in Shanghai Puts $85.5 Billion Chipmaker in Spotlight 
Philips Shares Slide 10% Despite Earnings Beat as Weak Orders Raise Growth Concerns 
BHP, Port Hedland Unions Fail to Reach Wage Deal as Negotiations Continue 
Barclays Q2 Profit Beats Forecasts as Investment Banking Strength Offsets Higher Costs 
Unilever Raises 2026 Sales Outlook After Strong Q2 Volume Growth 
Meta CEO Zuckerberg Opposes U.S. Ban on Chinese AI Models, Warns Against Overregulation 
SK Hynix Q2 Profit Hits Record as AI Memory Chip Demand Fuels Growth 
Nvidia Invests $1 Billion in Naver as South Korea AI Data Center Expansion Gains Momentum 
Nvidia Eyes $250B Guarantee for OpenAI’s Massive Ohio AI Data Center Project 
Seagate Stock Jumps as AI-Fueled Earnings Beat and Strong FY2027 Outlook Impress Investors 
South Korean expenditure on alcohol and cigarettes by local households of two or more people gained 10.7 percent on-year to hit a new high average of 42,980 won in the July-September period with the “stay-at-home” situation fueling the spending.
Statistics Korea attributed the increase in liquor and tobacco expenditures to more people being forced to stay at home due to the pandemic.
The figure showed by Statistics Korea marks the largest since the government started compiling related data in 2003.
Purchases of such items at restaurants were not taken into account.
Spending on tobacco and alcohol fell 4.2 percent on-year in the first quarter but quickly gained 9.5 percent in the second quarter.
The growth rate in the third quarter marked the highest since the 22.2 percent increase in the first quarter of 2016 when the government raised tobacco prices.
Liquor and tobacco each separately posted record highs household expenditures in the third quarter at an average of 19,651 won and 23,329 won, respectively.
Industry watchers noted that the current travel restrictions minimized duty-free purchases of tobacco, leading to more such purchases from local stores.
