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Europe
BBC Business

Tech stocks plunge in Asia after record rally and renewed Middle East attacks

South Korea's stock market was forced to halt trading for 20 minutes after the Kospi index plunged by nearly 9% within minutes of Monday's opening. The halt is part of a circuit breaker mechanism designed to prevent panic trading and was triggered for the third time this year after a sharp sell-off in technology stocks. Japan's Nikkei 225 index slid by around 4.5% - the most in three months - as shares of major tech companies fell. Oil prices also rose on Monday, fuelling concerns of inflation, after Iran and Israel exchanged strikes for the first time since a ceasefire was agreed between the sides and the US in April. Traders are nervously watching a "messy mix" of several shocks to the market mainly tied to the tech sector and accelerated by rising energy prices, said chief investment strategist Charu Chanana from Saxo. Tech stocks have seen a strong run in recent weeks, but investors are "repositioning" over fears the investments into artificial intelligence may be overvalued, she said. Markets like the Kospi and Nikkei are particularly exposed to such shocks given their exchanges are dominated by tech stocks. The losses follow a sharp drop on Wall Street on Friday, where a sell-off in tech stocks saw shares on the Nasdaq lose about 4% - its biggest drop in more than a year. Part of the decline on Friday followed fears of a hike in US interest rates, due to a lower-than-expected US unemployment rate in April as well as persistently high inflation linked to the war in the Middle East. Trading in South Korea has resumed since the circuit breaker was triggered, with the Kospi index down by about 7.9% in the early afternoon. The share prices of major South Korean tech companies were sharply lower, including those of chipmakers Samsung and SK Hynix. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Monday that the stock market was expected to experience volatility but he believed domestic shares were still "slightly undervalued".

Tech stocks plunge in Asia after record rally and renewed Middle East attacks
North America
Yahoo Finance

FTSE 100 Live: Stocks in Asia plunge as oil spikes on Iran and Israel's strike exchange

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FTSE 100 Live: Stocks in Asia plunge as oil spikes on Iran and Israel's strike exchange
Europe
BBC Business

M&S launches new traineeship for 1,000 young people

Marks and Spencer is launching a new training scheme for young people trying to get on the career ladder in a bid to tackle the "growing youth unemployment challenge". Aimed at 16 to 24-year olds, it will create 1,000 training places in the UK and Ireland over the next 18 months. M&S said the paid scheme was intended to help tackle the rising number of young people not in employment, education or training, or Neets as they are known. The latest official figures show more than a million young people are Neets - the highest level in more than 12 years and equating to roughly one in eight young people. Last month, a key review warned one in six would be Neet in five years if action was not taken. The review found job and career opportunities for those hoping to enter employment were "not growing, they're shrinking". Its author, former minister Alan Milburn, warned of a potential "lost generation". It said there was no one single factor causing the crisis, citing the Covid-19 pandemic, smartphones, health issues and the current jobs market, which has seen a sharp drop in the number of entry-level positions. High Street retailers and hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes and pubs often offer the first experience of work for many. M&S said its new scheme would provide six months of training, with successful participants then receiving further training to become a store manager. Retail director Thinus Keeve said: "We want more young people to see retail not just as a first job, but as a career with real opportunity, real responsibility and real progression... "This programme is about opening doors for the next generation and giving talented young people the chance to thrive." Over the weekend, the government announced a partnership with industry and trade unions examining how artificial intelligence (AI) affects entry-level roles.

M&S launches new traineeship for 1,000 young people
North America
Yahoo Finance

Stocks tumble, oil jumps amid tech rout, Iran tensions

STORY: Asian stocks plunged on Monday morning as investors hit the brakes on the red-hot AI rally. South Korea’s tech-heavy KOSPI index took the heaviest beating. It was down around 6% by late-morning after volatile trade had earlier triggered a 20-minute halt. Chip giant Samsung matched the overall decline.  Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei index was down around 4% by the same time. That follows a similar drop for the Nasdaq on Wall Street at the end of last week. One analyst told Reuters that doubts have crept in over tech earnings, partly following weaker-than-expected numbers from US chipmaker Broadcom. Last week’s hotter-than-expected U.S. jobs data have also all but wiped out hopes for further rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. Then there’s Iran. Tensions in the Middle East have flared again, following Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel. International benchmark Brent Crude was up around 3% on Monday morning, once again heading towards the $100 per barrel mark. That’s despite weekend action by the OPEC+ oil exporters’ group to reassure markets with a further boost to output. Later this week, all eyes turn to the potentially record breaking SpaceX share listing. Elon Musk’s rocket firm is set to start trading on Friday, and is expected to debut with a valuation of around $1.75 trillion. With so much money going to that, and more possible mega-listings such as OpenAI, some brokers have expressed concern about the impact on other assets.

Stocks tumble, oil jumps amid tech rout, Iran tensions
North America
Yahoo Finance

Aktsiaselts Infortar own share acquisition transactions

Aktsiaselts Infortar acquired its own shares on the Nasdaq Tallinn StTemplate Manager ock Exchange during the period of 1 June – 5 June 2026 as follows: DateAggregated volume (pcs)Weighted average price per day (EUR)01.06.202627648,113802.06.202628148,533103.06.202625448,400004.06.202625148,487305.06.202625448,6382 Aktsiaselts Infortar is acquiring its own shares based on the stock exchange announcement published on 20 April 2026. The share buyback programme is managed by SEB Pank AS, which will

Aktsiaselts Infortar own share acquisition transactions
Europe
BBC Business

'No dead ends': What the Dutch can teach us about tackling youth unemployment

A landmark report last month found Britain is grappling with a youth engagement crisis - with nearly one in eight 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neet). Alan Milburn, the former health secretary who authored the report, warned one in six young people could become Neet within five years unless urgent action is taken. He identified that the Dutch approach was one the UK could learn from. The Netherlands has one of the lowest Neet rates in the world, at 4.9% among 18 to 24-year-olds. The equivalent figure in the UK is 15.1%. So can the UK learn from a Dutch system that is designed around a simple principle? "No dead ends" is the philosophy which underpins Dutch education and youth employment policy - every stage of a young person's journey is designed to lead somewhere. Under Dutch law, it is compulsory for children between five and 16 to attend school - then they must stay in education or training until they either secure a qualification or turn 18. One of the Netherlands' key tools for cutting school dropout rates is through the kwalificatieplicht (qualification requirement). The system is controversial, with critics warning that early streaming can disadvantage some children and be detrimental to a young person's self-esteem. Across the UK, young people can leave school at 16, but after that the rules vary. In England, they must stay in education or training until 18, through full-time study, an apprenticeship or part-time learning alongside work. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is no equivalent legal requirement, although schools and public agencies still encourage young people to stay in education or training. At 10 years old, Amelie was told to choose the vocational VMBO track at high school. She says this took a toll on her confidence - in the Dutch school system the VMBO track is not the most academic route.

'No dead ends': What the Dutch can teach us about tackling youth unemployment
Europe
BBC Business

Spain's visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East

From the rooftop terrace of a hotel, Fede Fuster looks out across Benidorm, at the nearby high-rise buildings and the town's famous, sweeping beach. "With all its virtues and its defects this is a place we feel proud of," he says. "It's a place of opportunities." Fuster is the president of the local tourism association, and his family was one of the first to build a hotel in this Mediterranean city, in the 1950s. Benidorm's population is still only 77,000, but it swells to around five times that number in the height of summer, due to its status as one of Spain's prime tourism draws. Since the Covid pandemic left resorts like Benidorm virtually deserted and the Spanish tourism industry at a standstill there has been a remarkable recovery. Foreign arrival numbers into the country have broken records each year, and totalled 97 million in 2025. Currently the world's second-biggest tourist destination, just behind France, Spain is expected to consolidate its recent success in 2026. "I think this is going to be a great year," Fuster says. "I'm optimistic, we're talking about reaching 100 million tourists in Spain. If we keep growing like this we're going to be number one [in the world] very soon." Industry experts had originally expected 2026 to see more modest growth. But the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran has made Spain an attractive alternative compared to Middle Eastern holiday destination Dubai, and countries in the eastern Mediterranean, such as Turkey and Cyprus. "In these moments of crisis, of [military] strikes or wars, the bookings always increase," says Fuster, who recalls a similar phenomenon in 2011, during the turmoil of the Arab Spring, although he insists he would prefer to compete with other countries without this advantage. "Any time that you have a crisis in the [eastern] Mediterranean or the Middle East, Spain is seen as a secure place to go," says Francisco Femenia-Serra, a lecturer in geography at Madrid's Complutense University. He explains that "part of the tourists that would normally go to Turkey or Egypt because of the [low] prices, for instance, might end up in Spain". Spain's official tourist arrival figures appear to bear this out. The country received 9.1 million international visitors in April, a new high for the month. This was 5.2% more, or 450,000 additional people, than April 2025.

Spain's visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East
North America
CNBC Finance

Harry's and Coterie owner Mammoth Brands has ambitions to be the next CPG giant

Mammoth Brands wants to take on traditional consumer packaged goods companies, armed with a portfolio of disruptors in the personal and baby care categories that have won over consumers and retailers alike. For the last decade, upstarts like those owned by Mammoth have challenged the relevance and longstanding dominance of legacy giants like Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Kimberly-Clark. The trend has also played out across packaged food and beverage companies, like Poppi and Olipop taking on Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Consumers' loyalty no longer draws on just brand recognition. Newcomers can offer shoppers something different: better prices, higher quality or fewer ingredients that scare them. "A lot of these companies call these smaller brands 'ankle biters' — tells you exactly what you need to know about how they view the threat," said Nik Modi, co-head of global consumer and retailer research for RBC Capital Markets. "But I think that they're taking it a lot more seriously. I think it's gotten to a tipping point." With brands like Harry's razors, Lume Deodorant and Coterie diapers, Mammoth is reshaping the consumer goods landscape, and it has ambitious plans. "We're trying to build a leading modern [consumer packaged goods] company, like if Procter & Gamble and Unilever were getting built today," Mammoth co-founder and co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield told CNBC. In 2024, Mammoth saw revenue of $835 million and almost $100 million in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, according to a statement from the company. While legacy consumer giants still dwarf the company with their tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue, Mammoth said it has seen a greater than 20% revenue compound annual growth rate over the prior five years through 2024. Soon, a wider swath of investors could bet on the company's vision. Mammoth is weighing an initial public offering as soon as the second half of this year, according to a Bloomberg report. "Today, our private company, we make money, which is great, and we have opportunity to continue to invest in the brands in our portfolio," said Mammoth's other co-founder and co-CEO Jeff Raider. "We'll continue to evaluate the right capital structure for the business over time to enable us to achieve that long-term outcome." The early seeds of Mammoth began in 2013, when Katz-Mayfield and Raider founded Harry's. Katz-Mayfield came up with the idea for the startup based on his frustration with the status quo of buying $20 replacement razor blades. "I called up Jeff," Katz-Mayfield said. "We decided to build a men's grooming brand that was a really high quality product at great value, a better overall experience, online led, and I really do think that's really at the core of everything that guides Mammoth Brands." Katz-Mayfield and Raider had previously worked together at Charlesbank Capital Partners and Bain & Company. Before founding Harry's, Raider co-founded Warby Parker. Like the glasses startup, Harry's began online, becoming another disruptor during the era of direct-to-consumer brands. By 2016, it had gained enough customers to land on Target shelves.

Harry's and Coterie owner Mammoth Brands has ambitions to be the next CPG giant
Europe
BBC Business

You may be saving for retirement without realising it. Here's how to check

We all know we are supposed to put something away for a rainy day, including our old age, it is just hard to find the money. A recent report suggested more than three-quarters of workers are set to miss out on a moderate standard of living in later life. But there is a simple check you can do now that could put you in a more comfortable financial position when you get older. It will help make sure you don't miss out on free money from your employer. You may even find out you are already saving for your retirement without realising it. Most workers aged 22 and over, and earning more than £10,000 a year (or £192 a week; or £833 a month) should automatically see some of their wages transferred to pension savings. Usually, 5% of your salary will go into a pension savings pot (this is an additional pension pot, separate from what you'll eventually receive in a state pension). If you don't put this money into a pension, it will be taxed, so you will lose some of it anyway. Crucially, your employer will then add money into the pot, the equivalent of at least 3% of your wages. This is money you can only access in retirement, so if money is really tight then you can opt out and have the money in your wages now. But the more money saved and invested now, the more it will grow over time, data shows.

You may be saving for retirement without realising it. Here's how to check