Economy

Crypto Market
FI warns: Crypto too risky for most

One in five Swedes has invested in crypto at some point, according to the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority's survey. The authority is now raising a warning finger for the asset.

- Most people should still not buy crypto, because for most it is too risky products, says Charlotte Fried, head of payment analysis and policy at FI.

Interest increases when there are large price increases that are written about in the media. The election campaign in the US and Donald Trump's crypto craze also gave a boost to interest. But it is still a risky investment with large price movements, says Fried.

- You should really understand what you are getting into and not invest more than you can lose. 

China's growth
Pop Mart's profit triples - furry Labubu is the driving force

The global boom for the little furry doll Labubu helped Chinese Pop Mart triple its sales in the first half of the year, writes FT.

The Chinese toy company's profit increased by almost 400 percent year-on-year, exceeding the company's own forecasts of 350 percent given in July. Exports accounted for about 40 percent of total sales, which ended at 13.9 billion yuan - equivalent to just over 18 billion Swedish kronor.

The company's shares have risen more than 500 percent over the past year on the Hong Kong stock exchange, making founder Wang Ning China's tenth richest person, according to Forbes. 

Swedish inflation
Previous Riksbank stop: Interest rates not as effective now

Controlling inflation using the policy rate has become increasingly less effective. This is what the former head of the Riksbank's monetary policy department, Jesper Hansson, tells SvD.

- When the models have been re-estimated in the period since the turn of the millennium, the effects on inflation of an interest rate change have gradually decreased.

According to Hansson, now a senior economist at Swedbank, no one knows why. But one hypothesis is that they have managed to keep inflation expectations around the target of 2 percent and that expectations are more important than the policy rate itself.

Defense giants in Europe pressured after peace talks

European stock markets rose after yesterday's summit at the White House with hopes that a peace settlement in Ukraine may be approaching.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that a direct meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Vladimir Putin could take place within the next two weeks, followed by Trump expanding the whole thing to a tripartite meeting to then begin negotiations, Reuters reports.

European defense stocks fell broadly on the news. German defense giants Renk Group, Rheinmetall and Hensoldt all fell between 5 and 9 percent, while Italian Leonardo plunged 10 percent. At home, Saab parked at the bottom of the OMXS30 after a decline of 7 percent.

DI analyst Ulf Petersson highlighted the peace talks as a reason and was not surprised by the fluctuations in Saab.

– You have a share that has gone up 500 percent in five years, then it usually moves quite a lot on the intraday, he said.

New obesity drugs
Study: More adults choose the children's menu at McDonalds

Almost 50 percent of adult Americans order from the children's menu at McDonalds, writes Market Watch and refers to a new study from Lightspeed.

Those surveyed state smaller portions as an important factor, but the low price also plays a role.

– It's both economical and filling, says a 35-year-old from Atlanta to the business site.

Experts believe that the reason is changed eating habits, since many Americans use appetite suppressant drugs, the site writes.

The trend is also confirmed by research company Circana, which shows that adults' orders for children's meals have increased by 30 percent since 2019, despite the total number of restaurant visits decreasing during the same period.