Markets

FTI Consulting has appointed Steven Casey as Senior Managing Director in its Economic Consulting segment in Australia. Based in Sydney, Casey brings nearly 20 years of experience advising governments, regulators, and executives. He specializes in public policy, economics, regulatory reform, and public investment strategy, leveraging data & AI. Casey will support clients facing fiscal challenges and enhance FTI’s economics platform in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, Casey held leadership roles at Quantium Telstra and KPMG Australia, also serving as a senior advisor to Commonwealth ministers.

Hooker Furnishings (HOFT) will hold its fiscal 2026 second-quarter earnings call on September 11, 2025, at 9:00 AM ET. The call will discuss performance from May 5 to August 3, 2025. Access is available via webcast on the investor relations site or by phone after registration. Hooker Furnishings, now in its 101st year, has a diverse brand portfolio including Hooker Furniture, Bradington-Young, and Home Meridian, serving various furniture and home décor markets.

BlackRock Inc. has increased its stake in Freedom Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: FRHC) to 0.85%, valued at approximately $89 million, making them the second-largest shareholder. This investment reflects a growing confidence in Freedom Holding, also shared by other institutional investors like State Street Corp. Freedom Holding operates in 22 countries, providing a financial and digital ecosystem including Freedom Bank and Freedom Broker. Freedom Holding’s CEO, Timur Turlov, views this as validation of their business model and strategic value.

NVIDIA’s GTC 2026, a key event for GPU technology and data center innovation, will be held in San Jose, California, from March 16-19. The conference is expected to showcase the debut of the Rubin GPU and Vera CPU, focusing on their performance and capabilities. GTC 2025 unveiled future GPU hardware plans, including Blackwell Ultra and the Vera Rubin architecture, along with software initiatives like NVIDIA Dynamo and Isaac GR00T N1. The industry anticipates insights into how these advancements will shape NVIDIA’s competitive edge.

Tourmaline Bio’s Phase 2 TRANQUILITY trial of pacibekitug demonstrated significant hs-CRP reductions in patients with elevated hs-CRP and chronic kidney disease. The 50mg quarterly dose achieved >85% hs-CRP reduction, a first for an IL-6 inhibitor. Statistically significant reductions were also observed in cardiovascular risk biomarkers like lipoprotein(a) and fibrinogen. These results support planned Phase 2 AAA study and Phase 3 ASCVD cardiovascular outcomes trial.

Amarin Corporation presented new *in vitro* data at ESC Congress 2025 regarding VASCEPA®/VAZKEPA® (EPA). The research demonstrated EPA’s potential to reduce inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) by modulating the ATP-P2X7 axis and NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages. Additionally, EPA inhibited lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] oxidation, mitigating oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory protein expression in endothelial cells. These findings suggest cardiovascular benefits of EPA may extend beyond triglyceride reduction, potentially offering further risk mitigation.

The ThundeRobot ZERO 16 Pro, powered by the Core Ultra 7 255HX and RTX 5070Ti, aims for unparalleled gaming. Its 20-core processor with AI enhancements and Blackwell architecture GPU deliver exceptional performance and realistic visuals. The 2.5K 360Hz display offers crisp, fluid gameplay, while the advanced cooling system ensures stability during intense sessions. Features like DDR5 RAM, PCIe 5.0 SSD, and customizable RGB keyboard further enhance the user experience. Its quality visuals will greatly benefit AAA/eSports gamers.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ AMVUTTRA (vutrisiran) showed sustained benefits in transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) patients in the HELIOS-B Phase 3 study. Data presented at ESC Congress 2025 revealed that vutrisiran reduced the risk of all-cause mortality or first cardiovascular event by 37% in the overall population and 42% in the monotherapy group over 48 months. The open-label extension maintained improvements in quality of life and cardiac biomarkers, supporting vutrisiran as a potential first-line ATTR-CM therapy.

Huawei Chairman Guo Ping addressed new hires in July 2025, discussing the company’s strengths and weaknesses in a “decoupling world.” Acknowledging restricted access to advanced technologies, Guo emphasized Huawei’s strong domestic base and ambition to become a global leader in ICT and smart devices. He highlighted strategies like “hardware-software synergy” and “non-Moore’s Law approaches” to overcome limitations and offer “another option” to the world. Guo urged new employees to seize opportunities in the dynamic industry and contribute to reshaping it.

Santana Equestrian Private Financial (SEQP) is defending its manure recycling operations against an environmental petition filed with the Florida DEP (Case No. 25-1566). SEQP filed a Motion to Dismiss, citing protection under Florida’s House Bill 211 and the Right to Farm Act. The company manages 612,000 pounds of manure daily and implemented a “Delivery Services Partner Program” to service over 400 farms. While confident, SEQP acknowledges potential reputational and operational risks.