Chinese AI pioneer DeepSeek has begun preparations for an initial public offering and may file as soon as this year, setting the stage for what could be a landmark debut for the country’s technology industry.

The Hangzhou-based company has started planning for an IPO in the mainland and targeted a filing this year that would allow it to debut in 2027, said the people, asking not to be identified because the discussions are confidential. The startup is in talks with accounting and banking advisors, one of the people said.

DeepSeek is also seeking to raise more funds in the private market ahead of the IPO, mere weeks after closing a record $7 billion financing round, the people said. It has begun talks with new backers about a fresh round targeting a pre-money valuation of at least 480 billion yuan ($71 billion), they said.

That’s an increase from the roughly $50 billion price tag DeepSeek drew in its first round of external financing, which closed in early June with big names including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. DeepSeek is aiming to raise at least 10 billion yuan of additional funds, though the final amount could go several times higher depending on the number of investors that sign on, the people said.

Discussions remain in flux, and the IPO timing and funding plans could change. Execution will depend on market conditions and the company’s performance.

The startup is working with accounting firms to finish its financial report by the end of December, a necessary step for the IPO filing, one person said, the company plans to make the filing near the end of this year or early in 2027, depending on when the financials are ready.

DeepSeek has drawn enormous interest from would-be investors because it’s one of a clutch of companies that sit at the heart of China’s effort to compete globally on AI. It developed a model last year that stunned the industry, demonstrating the ability to build a cutting-edge yet efficient platform with fewer computing resources. The breakthrough demonstrated that Chinese companies could compete with the best of Silicon Valley despite US export restrictions on advanced hardware

The startup is now chasing more funds to support an ambitious expansion plan, including an increase in computing capacity. AI labs around the world are striking deals to secure the data center infrastructure they need to train and operate AI services.

Founded in 2023, DeepSeek is owned by hedge fund Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management. Its earlier fundraising set a record for first-time financing by a Chinese tech startup. Apart from Tencent and CATL, it also notably drew the backing of the National Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, one of the vehicles that spearheads Beijing’s over-arching endeavors in the sector.

DeepSeek’s senior management has told potential investors that the startup will prioritize groundbreaking AI research over short-term commercialization, Bloomberg News has reported. Founder Liang Wenfeng pledged in at least one meeting with investors to keep developing open-source AI models while pursuing the broader goal of achieving artificial general intelligence, underscoring the company’s focus on advancing the frontiers of AI rather than monetization.

Liang’s net worth more than doubled after his firm’s most recent fundraising round, making the Chinese entrepreneur the world’s richest among creators of AI models.

He’s now worth $36 billion, up from about $16.7 billion previously. That ranks him well above Anthropic PBC co-founder Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Greg Brockman.

The startup is now expanding into agentic AI in the wake of OpenClaw’s emergence, tapping a wave of enthusiasm for software that can carry out tasks without human intervention.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/deepseek-mulls-new-funding-weeks-after-7-billion-round-ft-says

DP World is planning to build a new port and a container terminal on the United Arab Emirates’ east coast that would reduce Dubai’s dependence on its flagship Jebel Ali hub and bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The Dubai-based port operator is in talks to develop a brand new multipurpose port in the coastal area of Fujairah and a new terminal at the existing harbour in the same emirate, people familiar with the matter said.

Shifting some of the port’s capacity outside Dubai marks a seismic change for the emirate, which has established itself as a global trade and finance hub partly off the back of Jebel Ali’s growth.

DP World’s plans align with a broader UAE government initiative to attempt to bulletproof its economy against future hostilities with Iran by reducing its dependence on the strait, where shipping has been disrupted by Iranian drones and missile strikes since the US-Israeli attack.

Source:
The Financial Times, July 13, 2026 (local time); https://www.ft.com/content/1f97b548-1bd8-41c8-8380-043ec688d77a?syn-25a6b1a6=1

ASML delivered a strong set of results for the second quarter of 2026, showing that the AI investment cycle is creating demand across several parts of the semiconductor industry.

The Dutch semiconductor equipment company reported €9.3 billion in quarterly net sales, a gross margin of 54.0%, and net income of €2.9 billion. All three figures point to a business growing while maintaining high profitability.

Revenue Growth Accelerated

ASML’s Q2 net sales increased from €7.7 billion in 2025 to €9.3 billion in 2026, representing year-on-year growth of approximately 21.3%.

The company generates revenue from two main sources: systems sales and installed base management, which includes services and upgrades for equipment already operating in customers’ factories. System sales remained the company’s largest source of revenue. However, service and field option sales grew much faster.

During Q2, customers were particularly interested in upgrades that could increase the productivity of machines already installed in their factories. Many of these improvements are software-led and require relatively little machine downtime. They can therefore “give customers an almost immediate increase in production capacity,” Chief Financial Officer Roger Dassen said in a video transcript accompanying the results.

Profitability Improved Faster Than Revenue

ASML’ operating income rose by approximately 29.7%, from €2.7 billion to €3.5 billion, outpacing revenue grwoth. Two factors may explain most of the difference.

Operating expenses increased much more slowly than revenue. ASML’s factories and engineering teams carry substantial fixed costs, which do not rise in proportion to sales. R&D spending increased 9% to €1.3 billion, while selling and administrative expenses were broadly unchanged. As a result, a larger share of additional revenue flowed through to operating profit, lifting the operating margin to 37.1% from 34.6%.

Gross margin also improved modestly, supported by stronger Installed Base Management sales. Service and field-option sales increased 32%, compared with approximately 17% growth in system sales. Customers require maintenance, replacement parts, software updates and equipment upgrades throughout the operating lives of their machines. These upgrades can improve production with limited downtime and contributed positively to ASML’s gross margin.

Basic earnings per share rose even faster, increasing from €5.90 to €7.59. The increase was driven primarily by higher profits, with share repurchases providing an additional benefit by reducing the weighted-average number of shares outstanding. ASML repurchased approximately €1.1 billion of shares during the second quarter under its 2026–2028 share buyback program.

China Remains Important but Risky

Management expects China to account for approximately 20% of ASML’s 2026 sales. Based on the midpoint of the company’s full-year guidance, that would represent roughly €8.8 billion in revenue.

However, demand should not be confused with ASML’s ability to supply every product. US lawmakers have proposed legislation aimed at tightening and aligning allied export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Any additional restrictions would ultimately depend on measures adopted by the Netherlands and other relevant governments. The company cannot export its most advanced EUV systems to China, while some advanced DUV systems and transactions with particular entities require government licences.

China can remain an important market for permitted DUV systems, but tighter restrictions could affect future sales.

A Stronger Outlook Extends Beyond 2026

ASML expects Q3 sales of between €11 billion and €12 billion, with a gross margin between 55% and 57%. For the full year, it projects revenue of €43 billion to €45 billion and a gross margin of 54% to 56%.

Demand visibility also extends beyond the current year. Management said ASML was close to receiving all the EUV orders needed for 2027, even as it prepares to increase Low-NA EUV production capacity by approximately 30% in 2027 relative to 2026.

The company has already received a substantial number of EUV orders for 2028 and is investigating another major capacity increase. These plans are not guaranteed outcomes, but they suggest customers are making unusually long-term investment commitments.

The main risks include weaker-than-expected AI spending, order delays, export restrictions, supply-chain limitations and slower adoption of new technologies such as High-NA EUV.

AI investment cycle is no longer influcing only a narrow group of advanced processor manufacturers. It is creating demand across a much wider semiconductor ecosystem—and ASML is converting that demand into highly profitable growth.

US consumer prices declined in June for the first time in six years and a key gauge of underlying inflation was little changed, taking some pressure off the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

The consumer price index fell 0.4% from May, dragged down by the biggest decline in gasoline prices since 2022, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Tuesday. 

However, renewed hostilities between the US and Iran have pushed oil prices higher again, raising the risk that the conflict’s inflationary effects could persist.

And while the monthly inflation figures were tame, annual gauges continued to point to elevated inflation: The headline index was up 3.5% from a year earlier (almost double the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%) and the core measure was 2.6% higher.

“This weakness will likely prove temporary and should fade as soon as next month’s report,” said Omair Sharif, president of Inflation Insights LLC. “This is welcome news for the Fed, but it is hardly mission accomplished.”

Financial markets responded quickly to the weaker-than-expected data. US Treasuries rallied, while traders scaled back expectations for a near-term Fed rate increase.

The policy-sensitive two-year Treasury yield fell as much as 14 basis points to 4.14%, putting it on course for its largest one-day decline since February. Meanwhile, the probability of a rate hike later this month, as implied by the interest-rate swap market, dropped below 17% from around 40% before the inflation report.

The shift marked a sharp reversal from earlier positioning. Ahead of the CPI release and remarks from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, bond traders had increased bets that the central bank would raise rates at its July meeting.

Fed Rate-Hike Bets Mount Before Inflation Data, Warsh Testimony

Bond traders ramped up bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates later this month, ahead of a closely watched US inflation report and remarks from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh.

Predictionmarkets.orgBloomberg

Despite the softer June reading, economists cautioned that the full inflationary consequences of the conflict may take longer to emerge. Higher fertilizer, energy and transportation costs could gradually feed through into food prices and a broader range of consumer goods.

The latest escalation in the Middle East could add further upward pressure to inflation in the coming months, particularly if renewed supply-chain disruptions raise production and distribution costs.

“With supply chain constraints coming up again, I will say it creates an inflation problem for the end of this year, maybe early next year,” said Pooja Sriram, senior US economist at Barclays. “So while 2026 may not see as much of an imprint, I think it poses a risk to 2027, especially core inflation when you think about the pass-through effects.”

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/us-cpi-falls-for-the-first-time-since-2020-core-gauge-unchanged

July 14 - Payments company Stripe and private equity firm Advent ​International have made a joint offer to ‌acquire PayPal Holdings Inc. for $60.50 per share, in a deal that would value the payments company at more ​than $53 billion, two people familiar with the ​matter said.The offer, submitted earlier this month, ⁠is backed by about $50 billion in committed financing ​from banks, the people said, and represents around ​a 28% premium to PayPal's closing share price on Tuesday.

The ⁠proposal follows an initial approach made in early April, the sources said. Stripe and Advent have not received a response from PayPal and are ​seeking to ​reach an ⁠agreement by the end of the month, the sources added.

Under the proposal, Stripe ​and Advent would jointly own PayPal, ​with ⁠each holding an equal stake, rather than breaking up the company, the people said. There is no ⁠certainty ​the approach will result in ​a transaction, they added.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/stripe-advent-offer-buy-paypal-more-than-53-billion-sources-say-2026-07-15/

President Donald Trump backed away from his plan to impose a 20% charge on cargo shipments through the Strait of Hormuz after US allies in the Gulf urged him to drop it.

Trump announced the decision Tuesday, one day after rolling out the fee, saying that the expected revenue would be replaced by forthcoming direct investments in the US from Gulf states. He did not specify a dollar amount or which countries would participate.

“I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” Trump posted on social media.

Even as Trump dropped that plan, the US announced it had resumed its blockade on Iranian shipping to and from its ports and coastal areas, effective at 4 p.m. Washington time.

US Central Command said in a post on X that it completed a seven-hour wave of strikes against dozens of targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran’s coast aimed at degrading Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.

Trump discussed broadening the offensive against Iran beyond the current campaign around the strait during a Situation Room meeting Tuesday, Axios reported, citing three people familiar with the discussions.

Trump’s reversal on fees underscored shifting US policy toward the vital waterway, which carried roughly one-fifth of global oil flows before the war. US officials have alternated between insisting passage should remain free and debating who, if anyone, should charge for transit, while Iran maintains it controls the strait.

The reversal also reinforced the “TACO” — or Trump Always Chickens Out — dynamic that emerged among traders last year as the president vacillated over his tariff policies.

Asked by reporters why he abandoned the proposal, Trump said Gulf leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates urged him to pursue investment commitments instead. “I don’t like the concept of a fee,” he said.

It’s unclear whether any Gulf states have made new financial pledges. At least one regional government has said it had not agreed to increase its existing commitments in exchange for waiving the transit fee through the strait, according to a person familiar with the matter.

In a Fox News interview that aired Tuesday evening, Trump said US strikes against Iran would broaden to attacks on bridges and power stations next week “unless they get to the table and negotiate.” He has previously made similar threats to attack civilian infrastructure — which critics say could constitute war crimes if carried out — but has not followed through.

Global crude oil benchmark Brent advanced toward $86 a barrel after surging 11% in the previous two sessions as Trump said the US would continue striking Iran and reiterated threats to target infrastructure.

Source:

Bloomberg; July 15, 2026 (local time); Trump Drops 20% Fee for Hormuz Cargo After Gulf Pressure; https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/trump-backs-off-20-fee-for-strait-of-hormuz-shipments?srnd=homepage-asia

On May 14, 2026, IBM (International Business Machines) shares plummeted 25% on Tuesday after the hardware, software and consulting provider released preliminary second-quarter results that fell short of expectations.

CEO Arvind Krishna blamed the shortfall on weakness in the software and infrastructure business, as clients shifted spending toward hardware purchases such as memory chips:

In the last few weeks of June, we saw clients shift their quarterly capex spend toward servers, storage, and memory purchases to secure supply-constrained infrastructure ahead of expected price increases. This dynamic impacted client buying patterns. While we anticipated some supply chain related impact in our expectations, we did not anticipate the magnitude of the capex reprioritization. In addition, clients were distracted with rapidly-evolving, industry-wide cybersecurity concerns in the quarter.

IBM's industry observation could open up some interesting discussions:

*Is Ai chips & services squeezing out subscription-based products? Before Ai boom, upgrading softwares or maintaining the existing infrastructure seemed to be the only option to spend for budget. Now, amid Ai boom, investing into the theme sounds way more "sexy-ier".

*Is Ai capex build-up over yet? Capital continues to flow into servers, storage, and memory chips – against recent stock price drops in that sector. The shift in business model requires heavier hardware investments. Supply-demand dynamics remains tight amid constrained manufacturing capacity.

Will you buy the dip?

Source:

1. IBM press room; July 14, 2026; https://newsroom.ibm.com/2026-07-14-Arvind-Krishnas-Letter-to-IBM-Investors

OOCL's 2Q2026 operating results indicated strong global trade demand despite concerns over geopolitical risks and trade frictions. The strength was led by all trade regions. Looking ahead, what would the tone be for 3Q2026?

Overall containerized volume remained strong. OOIL's 2Q2026 liftings (TEU) increased 8.8%Y/Y, much more solid than Maersk's upward revised full-year guidance (+4%Y/Y, upgraded in June 2026). The overall load factor increased by 1.9% compared to 2Q2025, which was disrupted by the sudden U.S. Liberation Day tariff swings. Worth noting, total liftings outpaced the growth of loadable capacity (+6.3%Y/Y), suggesting that global supply chain diversification, if not the overall economic growth remains.

Transpacific led the way - a smoother peak season. transport volume increased 21.5%Y/Y and revenue increased 29.3%Y/Y. This could be a combination of (1) a more certain tariff environment, and (2) healthy U.S. demand. Looking ahead, it remains to be seen whether the strength will continue into third-quarter.

Asia-Europe/Mediterranean is still elevated. Against the concerns over economic development in EU, overall volume continued to grow by 6.9%Y/Y in 2Q2026. The region could be more resilient than expected.

Transatlantic volume grew by 1.8%Y/Y, on the back of service expansion and OOIL's capacity adjustments. Although traditionally considered a smaller market than Transpacific & Asia-EU/Med long-huals, market share gain could be a positive sign for customer loyalty.

Global supply chain diversification remains a major theme, reflected in the 3.9%Y/Y volume growth in Intra-Asia/Australasia trade. Regional trades have been a hot topic since Trump 2.0, and it seems to be accelerating rather than cooling down. Meanwhile, diversified manufacturing bases also give rise to local economic development, generating positive inflow-export exchanges.

All eyes on the key debates of the future of container shipping industry:

Will freight rates continue to stay elevated into 3Q2025?

Will overcapacity erode liners' profitability?

Are demand generated by global economic growth, or "trans-shipments" amid trade frictions?

Source: Company reports.

According to Bloomberg (July 14, 2026), Samsung Electronics Co. is in the early stages of exploring a potential offering of American depositary receipts, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company has held preliminary discussions with banks, but hasn’t yet made a decision about whether to proceed, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private deliberations. Samsung will monitor the volatile memory chip stocks as part of the decision making, they said. If the company moves ahead with a US listing, its sprawling business portfolio and recurring labor disputes could pose challenges in structuring the deal, according to the people.

The discussions are in the very early stages and may not result in a listing, they added. A representative for Samsung via text message said the company isn’t reviewing the possibility of issuing ADRs.

Samsung has in the past reviewed the possibility of an ADR offering before ultimately deciding against proceeding, though the successful US listing of SK Hynix Inc. has given Samsung fresh motivation to revisit the idea, according to the people. Still, the discussions are in the very early stages and remain more of a review rather than specific plans or mandating a bank for the sale, they said.

Stock price tumbled: Is SK Hynix rally over after Nasdaq debut?

The Korean memory chip-maker’s stock price tumbled more than 10% (as of morning July 13, 2026) after its stunning Nasdaq debut last Friday (up 12.8%). Is the rally over, or is this a buying oppotuntiy?

Predictionmarkets.orgYU GU

Last month, Samsung Group and SK Group said they plan to build two chipmaking plants apiece for a total of 800 trillion won ($536 billion), to rapidly expand production capacity to meet increasing demand. South Korea also announced 550 trillion won of investment from companies including internet leader Naver Corp. to build 8.4 gigawatts of AI data-center capacity by 2029.

Samsung and SK Hynix plan massive sites as part of South Korean national project

Samsung Electronics and ‌SK Hynix ‌plan to each build ​two new massive chip fabrication sites in South Korea’s southwest ‌region ⁠as part of a national project ⁠to build chip production “ecosystem” valued at 800 trillion won.

Predictionmarkets.orgReuters

Source: Bloomberg, July 14, 2026 (local time); https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/samsung-is-said-in-early-discussions-on-potential-us-share-sale

China’s leading memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is set to debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on July 27, marking Asia’s biggest initial public offering this year, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company plans to raise 29.5 billion yuan ($4.35 billion) through the listing after beginning book-building on July 15. The IPO will also be China’s largest A-share semiconductor offering since SMIC’s market debut in 2020, according to Reuters.

CXMT has emerged as the world’s fourth-largest DRAM chipmaker with a 7.7% global market share in 2025. Reuters reported the company plans to use the proceeds to expand production capacity and upgrade technology.

The Financial Times (FT) recently reported that Apple is testing CXMT’s DRAM products as it explores local sourcing for the Chinese market, although no supply agreement has been finalized.

Apple interest thrusts China’s CXMT into memory chip spotlight

CXMT has been thrust into the global spotlight by the race for memory chips. Apple has begun testing the company’s DRam chips for devices sold in China, according to two people familiar with the matter

Predictionmarkets.orgJiayi ZHANG

According to Intel's official announcement: LEIXLIP, Ireland, July 13, 2026 —Intel today announced a €5 billion ($5.7 billion) capital investment at its Leixlip campus in Ireland, marking the next phase in the site’s capacity expansion.  

"Global demand for AI and high-performance computing is driving the need for advanced silicon to power AI Factories, and Intel is scaling capacity in Ireland to deliver Intel Xeon 6 and next gen Intel Xeon built on its Intel 3 node. This strategic investment expands current production output, advances research and development activities and utilises capacity across existing cleanroom space, strengthening Europe’s semiconductor supply chain and serving industry need.  

The expansion involves upgrading existing fabrication facilities and the installation of leading-edge manufacturing equipment. Key infrastructure enhancements include the expansion of the automated track system to integrate disparate campus modules into a singular, high-velocity production environment. "

According to Retuers, Intel is one of the key multinationals in Ireland's foreign investment-focused economy, having already invested €30 billion in the country since 1989, more than half of which ​was spent between 2019 and 2023 on the fabrication facility that doubled the available capacity ​in Ireland. The leading-edge manufacturing equipment that Intel has begun to install will help deliver Intel ‌Xeon ⁠6 processors and next-generation Intel Xeon built on the group's Intel 3 manufacturing process, the company said.

Source:

1. Intel; "Intel Invests €5 Billion to Expand Manufacturing in Europe"; July 13, 2026 (local time); https://newsroom.intel.com/intel-foundry/intel-invests-5-billion-euro-to-expand-manufacturing-in-europe
2. Reuters; "Intel announces $5.7 billion AI-driven capital investment in Ireland"; July 13, 2026 (local time); https://www.reuters.com/business/intel-announces-57-billion-capital-investment-irish-manufacturing-hub-2026-07-13/

China's exports of green technology products continued to accelerate in the first half of the year, driven by the accelerating global energy transition.

Shipments of lithium batteries and wind turbines increased by 38% and 36%, respectively, over January-June, according to Wang Jun, deputy director of China’s General Administration of Customs.

“As the global shift toward green and low-carbon development continues to gain momentum, rising investment and consumer demand in renewable energy sectors are increasingly aligned with China’s green product offerings,” Wang said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

The growth builds on an already strong first quarter, when lithium battery exports surged by 50% from the same period a year earlier. Exports of basic organic chemicals and primary-shaped plastics also increased by 25% and 35% respectively. The sustained demand reflects a global search for alternative energy sources that has been hastened by the energy-supply crunch arising from the Middle East war.

The private sector, already a dominant force in China’s foreign trade, continued to play a pivotal role. Shipments of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar products by private companies recorded a 46% increase in the first half, according to China Customs’ spokesperson Lyu Daliang.

“This shows that private companies have emerged as a key supply pillar for the global green transformation,” Lyu said at the same briefing.

Overall, China’s growth in exports and imports topped all forecasts in June, as surging chip prices and global demand for hardware needed to power artificial intelligence data centers lift trade across Asia.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/china-s-green-tech-exports-surge-on-energy-transition-demand?srnd=homepage-asia