Chinese EV Groups Target Europe for Global Growth

Chinese EV Groups Target Europe for Global Growth 

Nio [NIO], Aion and Zeekr are set to enter the UK this year, using Europe’s second-largest electric vehicle (EV) market as a springboard for global expansion, the Financial Times reported. The UK’s lack of China-specific EV tariffs and openness to new brands make it attractive. Meanwhile, Germany’s reinstated EV subsidies could benefit low-cost Chinese players such as BYD [BYDDF], according to Bloomberg.

ByteDance Ramps Up AI Challenge

The TikTok owner is aggressively expanding Volcano Engine, its enterprise cloud arm, using proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) models and pricing pressure to challenge incumbents Alibaba [BABA], Tencent [TCEHY] and Huawei. IDC estimates ByteDance now holds nearly 13% of China’s AI cloud revenue, making it the market’s second-largest provider behind Alibaba, the Financial Times outlined.

Is This the First in a Wave of Biotech Buyouts?

GSK [GSK] is acquiring US biotech Rapt Therapeutics [RAPT] for $2.2bn, its first major deal under CEO Luke Miels. The deal values Rapt at $58 per share, nearly double its Nasdaq closing price on Monday, with $1.9bn paid up front. GSK gains global rights (excluding China, Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong) to ozureprubart, a long-acting food allergy therapy in phase II trials, aiming for a 2031 launch and projected revenues of £40bn by that year. 

Which Stocks Are Leading the Robotaxi Race?

The autonomous vehicle rideshare market is projected to reach $7bn in annual revenue by 2030, representing a 90% CAGR over the next five years. Major players are accelerating rollouts in 2026: Tesla [TSLA] is making its full self-driving software subscription-only, WeRide [WRD] has expanded its fleet to over 1,000 vehicles and Baidu’s [BIDU] Apollo Go now operates in 20 Chinese cities. OPTO examines the prospects of all three stocks.

UK Mulls Social Media Ban 

The UK government is weighing whether to implement a ban on social media for individuals under 16, the BBCreported. The planned legislation would mandate schools to be “phone-free by default”, and could require social media companies to remove or limit features that drive “compulsive use of social media”. The proposed ban resembles similar legislation that took effect in Australia at the end of last year and could be implemented as early as this summer. 

Precious Metals Rise on Trade War Fears

Both gold and silver hit new highs on Tuesday as economic tensions between Europe and the US ramp up. Investors are awaiting Europe’s response to President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on the eight European countries that oppose his Greenland plans. “We have entered an era of resource nationalism between major powers,” observed Union Bancaire FX strategy head Peter Kinsella, noting that gold remains a strong bet in the face of geopolitical tension.

Could 2026 Be a Big Year for Medtronic?

Medtech is in an exciting place right now, as AI, predictive monitoring, digital twin simulations and robotics drive rapid innovation across the sector. Diversified healthcare giant Medtronic [MDT] remains at the forefront of many of these developments. Following a bullish Q2 and the regulatory approval of Hugo, its robotic-assisted surgery system, OPTO examines the investment case for this dynamic medtech stock.