Markets

PPG (NYSE: PPG) announced its Q2 2025 earnings will be released July 29 after market close, followed by an earnings call July 30 at 8 a.m. ET, featuring Chairman & CEO Tim Knavish and CFO Vince Morales. Investors can access the call via webcast or teleconference. Analysts are focused on PPG’s performance amid volatile raw material costs (particularly titanium dioxide), automotive demand shifts, and progress in key areas like EV coatings, aerospace materials, and digital color tech. PPG, a global coatings bellwether, emphasized transparent shareholder communication alongside its results.

Cushman & Wakefield published its 2024 Sustainability Report, highlighting progress in integrating responsible practices. Key achievements include exceeding emissions reduction targets six years early (50% reduction from 2019) and sourcing 87% corporate electricity from renewables. The report also details social initiatives like the DRIVE cultural program, positioning sustainability as a core business strategy.

Four major Chinese logistics firms—Full Truck Alliance, HUOLALA, Didi Freight, and Kuaigou Taxi—signed a self-regulatory covenant to protect truck drivers’ rights. Key commitments include banning excessively low freight rates, ensuring prompt payment settlement, increasing commission transparency (“sunshine campaign”), requiring shipper prepayment, and providing fare compensation insurance. The platforms pledged not to delay payments or link cash withdrawals to behavior scores. Further measures address fee reductions, fair dispute resolution, and ending unauthorized pay deductions.

Clean Energy Technologies (CETY) secures a decade-long federal tax advantage under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), qualifying its waste heat recovery, biomass energy, and storage systems for 30% investment tax credits or production incentives until 2032. Exempt from stricter regulations affecting solar and wind sectors, CETY leverages infrastructure-ready solutions to meet emissions and domestic sourcing requirements, positioning itself as a resilient clean energy player. While benefiting from regulatory flexibility and project financing options, it faces phased incentive reductions starting in 2033, supply chain risks, and Nasdaq compliance pressures to maintain its $1.00 share price by late 2025.

Auction house Infinite Auctions is offering Michael Jordan’s game-worn sneakers from his pivotal March 22, 1995 comeback game with the Chicago Bulls. Authenticated using proprietary photo-matching technology, the sneakers (current bid: $46,000) symbolize Jordan’s first victory after retirement and the final game played at Boston Garden before its demolition. This sale reflects the high-value sports memorabilia market growth.

Doxxing, involving weaponized personal data for harassment, is escalating in China as a severe digital threat. Tech giant Tencent, targeting this on its platform QQ (597 million users), purged over 100,000 abusive posts, terminated 10,000+ harassment groups, and employs advanced algorithms/AI detection. This crackdown aligns with China’s intensified cyber governance and foreshadows stricter privacy law enforcement. Tencent’s approach, utilizing tech like neural networks and judicial reporting, may set a precedent for combating industrialized “doxxing economies” and balancing innovation with safety in web ecosystems.

Rumors of Jay Chou joining ByteDance’s Douyin with a **nine-figure yuan** signing fee sparked speculation, but officials denied the claims as “baseless misinformation.” Unofficial reports noted a verified private Douyin account (“@周同学”) linked to Chou, featuring his iconic branding. The artist previously demonstrated massive appeal on rival platform Kuaishou, gaining 10M+ followers in days (2020) and breaking viewership records with a 2022 concert livestream. The controversy underscores the high-stakes competition for celebrity partnerships in China’s $100B short-video sector, where A-list endorsements drive user engagement and ad revenue.

Air Lease Corporation announced Q2 2025 results featuring fleet growth, portfolio adjustments, and a $344M insurance settlement. The lessor owns 495 aircraft with 241 new orders through 2031, focusing on fuel-efficient models to meet emissions standards. Initiatives included 12 aircraft deliveries ($890M spent) and selling 4 older jets for $126M. The Russia-related insurance resolution removes financial uncertainty, potentially boosting shareholder returns. Analysts highlight AL’s 4.2-year average fleet age and $29B in committed rentals as competitive strengths, with 94% of current assets leased. The company maintains its role as a key aviation financier amid industry decarbonization efforts.

Tencent’s WeRead has upgraded its HarmonyOS app with a redesigned digital bookstore offering real-time bestseller tracking across 20+ genres, monthly releases, and a free e-book section. Technical enhancements include 29 font options, adaptive themes, image zoom, and cross-device optimization via Huawei’s AppGallery. As HarmonyOS gains traction, WeRead joins 5,000+ native apps in Huawei’s ecosystem, reflecting Tencent’s tighter collaboration with Huawei. The app maintains a 4.8/5 rating from 150,000+ users, integrating AI recommendations and multi-device sync, positioning itself as both content hub and OS tech showcase in China’s digital publishing market.

Baidu has initiated its 2026 campus recruitment, offering over 4,000 positions spanning 256 specialized roles across seven Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, and Hangzhou. Over 90% of openings are AI-related, including 90 newly created roles in multimodal systems, cross-modal algorithms, and large-scale model architecture. The recruitment features a dual-batch system: early applicants bypass written exams for accelerated interviews, while unselected candidates may reapply during the regular admission cycle. (79 words)