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The well-known coffee chain Starbucks has been struggling with weaker sales for several months, as confirmed by the latest preliminary financial indicators for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024. However, there is hope in the form of a new CEO, who has a plan to reverse the situation. Starbucks must change its approach to customers while also listening to its employees, who have identified many operational issues.

The French conglomerate LVMH, known primarily for its luxury brand Louis Vuitton, experienced a sharp decline in sales in Asia during the third quarter of 2024. This raised concerns about consumer sentiment in the region, particularly in the important Chinese market. The disappointing financial results impacted not only LVMH's stock but also that of other European luxury retailers.* However, given the persistent challenging economic conditions in key markets, the situation may not be as dire as it appears at first glance.

As the world eagerly looks to the benefits and potentially revolutionary implementations brought by artificial intelligence (AI), a fundamental question arises regarding the energy consumption of data centres required for its operation. Tech giants like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon have announced their plans to invest in nuclear energy. It indicates their willingness to tackle energy consumption challenges while striving to meet sustainability goals, despite the controversial nature of nuclear power and its rejection by some countries.

US company Tesla, known for years as the world's largest manufacturer of electric cars, is now taking its remit one step further with the unveiling of a new fully autonomous taxi called Cybercab. As it faces declining sales and increased competition, this bold move signals its continued expansion into autonomous technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to open up new opportunities.

The Rio Tinto Group is focusing on strategic acquisitions to strengthen its position in the critical minerals market, which are essential for technological advancement and the transition to renewable energy sources. It is now set to deepen its involvement in lithium production through the acquisition of Arcadium Lithium for billions of dollars, securing access to additional supplies of this vital mineral. The continuing growth in demand for lithium, driven by the development of electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage, is a key motivation for this expansion.