Economy

US-China Relations
Data: China wants to reduce US Treasury holdings

US Treasury bonds continue to fall as Chinese authorities urge the country's banks to reduce their holdings due to concerns about increasing volatility. This is reported by Bloomberg, citing sources with insight.

Authorities have both sent instructions to banks to limit their purchases and urged institutions with large exposures to reduce them. The measure is justified by the fact that it is about risk diversification, but it could strengthen an ongoing trend where countries such as India and Brazil have already reduced their holdings of US Treasury securities.

- It is the latest evidence that a pattern is starting to take shape and a sign that long-term structural outflows from the dollar are not a mirage, says Macquarie Group's Gareth Berry to the news agency.

EU vs. tech giants
EU warns Meta: Let rivals' AI into Whatsapp

The EU Commission demands that Meta open up the messaging service Whatsapp to competing chatbots, reports Bloomberg.

The Commission has sent a warning to the tech giant over the rule changes that will block other companies' AI technology from January and announced that it intends to take measures to "avoid serious harm to the market".

The Commission also wrote that Meta's actions risk "blocking competitors from entering the rapidly growing market for AI assistants".

The EU is increasingly demanding more from American tech companies, but the latest measure risks contributing to further tensions with the Trump administration, writes Bloomberg.

Omni · Economy

Epstein affair  British connections
British Epstein crisis a nightmare for London tourists

The Epstein crisis in the UK is making London travel cheaper for Swedes. This is stated by TT.

Former British Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson's connections to Jeffrey Epstein have created a crisis of confidence in the country that is pressuring the pound and pushing up market interest rates.

For tourist Swedes, this means that the krona has strengthened from 12.40 kronor at the turn of the year to 12.15 kronor, the lowest in recent days. 

Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is expected to provide a billion-kronor boost to trade

One of the most important days of the year is fast approaching for the flower trade. On Valentine's Day, flowers can be sold equivalent to almost a whole month's sales, writes DI.

Trade before Saturday is expected to reach close to 1 billion kronor this year. A bouquet of red roses is by far the most popular gift at Euroflorist, while tulips are more popular at competitor Interflora.

According to traders, Valentine's Day is the most important day of the year after Mother's Day.