
Euro's Steady Demand Shows Challenge of Taking On the Dollar
International use of the euro remained flat for another year in 2024, laying bare the depth of the task in challenging the US dollar on the global stage.
In overall usage terms, the share of the common currency was largely unchanged at 19%, the European Central Bank said Wednesday in an annual assessment of the euro's situation. In foreign-exchange reserves, it held at 20% — a third of that for the dollar.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Vogue
10 minutes ago
- Vogue
Brioni Spring 2026 Menswear Collection
'Renaulution' is the transformation strategy through which the newly-named CEO of Kering Group, Milan-born Luca de Meo, has over the last few years uplifted the fortunes of France's greatest automotive group. Now, transplanted to luxury, his new role will require him to 'Guccelerate' performance in order to generate a 'Kerinaissance.' It will also demand that he dress the part—and that demand can only be appropriately answered by wearing Kering-crafted tailoring. But from where? Only three brands in the Kering Group have true masculine tailoring heritage. And with all due respect to the sharply-shouldered, flare-panted flaneur silhouette of Saint Laurent, or the agonizingly complicated elegance of Alexander McQueen, by far the most compelling candidate for the new boss's uniform is Brioni. This morning's presentation at the Palazzo Stampa Soncino showcased the commandingly multifaceted nature of Brioni's menswear authority. As we entered, white-jacketed artisans from the label's 66-year old tailoring production line in Penne, Abruzzo, showcased tasks including hand-fashioning buttonholes, hand-stitching a tuxedo's shoulder, hand-building a felted undercollar, and hand-scalpelling an already sliver-thin section of silk-cashmere. The gentleman working (extremely rapidly) on the tuxedo had attended Brioni's tailoring school when still in his teens and worked there ever since, a total of 18 years. The next room revealed the latest fruits of Brioni's industry-revolutionizing vertical integration. Creative director Norbert Stumpfl has spent the last seven years adapting the expansive sophistication of the house's historical style to the demands of today's high rollers: this season his offerings combined stealth and impact. Tailored jackets in unlined nubuck leather rested above tailored pants in crisp, dense cotton with discreetly integrated elastic panels and drawstrings. Suiting in two-toned solaro-weave cashmere silk, double breasted and peak lapeled with mother of pearl buttons, were matched to same-color shirting for a straightforward full-look option that decision-wary clients appreciate, said Stumpfl: 'he just puts it on and looks stunning.' A long-skirted suit in dark navy was delivered in a new Super 220 four-ply wool developed exclusively for Brioni by Dormeuil. Its extreme lightness and softness made it feel barely tangible. It also looked like outstanding new CEO attire. Communicating the effect of such intangibly-refined material specialness, conceded Stumpfl, is challenging. 'In the end you have to feel it, and ideally you have to wear it. Only then can you fully understand,' he said. More casual looks included silk linen shirt jackets worn with solaro baseball caps, leather lanyards, and scrunchable suede loafers. An outrageously handsome workwear jacket was cut in unlined brown suede and placed over a work-shirt in undyed Japanese denim. There were crocodile blousons and a spectacular matching shirt and Soffio 'breeze' jacket in a white seersucker whose textured landscape of cotton/silk puckerings were gently stained with a structured patina of ceramic blue. Moving on to eveningwear, we saw a suit cut in a pink silk that had been enzyme treated to transform the material's usual shiny finish in order to create a deeper, matte texture to the eye. An inky black jacket was made by individually stitching thousands of strips of ribbon, each only a millimeter apart, into a barely discernible fabric cascade: running your finger down it was akin to gently riffling the pages of a richly-printed book. The final look in the line-up was a piece for Brioni super fans: a golden jacket embroidered with 24 karat gold beadings in the same shape as the house's Penne factory seen from above. This was another strong contender for the incoming boss's wardrobe once 'Re-Balenciaga' has been achieved. Brioni, if handled right, can be at the heart of that process.
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool Risk Losing Key Star Unless Contract Talks Progress Soon
Konate Contract Talks Stall as European Giants Circle Liverpool's determination to build a competitive squad under Arne Slot this summer could be overshadowed by uncertainty surrounding one of their most important players. According to Caught Offside, Ibrahima Konate's contract negotiations have hit a significant stumbling block, and with clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, and Al-Hilal circling, the clock is ticking. Advertisement 'Konate is reportedly demanding a weekly salary of around £200,000. However, Liverpool's management appears reluctant to meet those terms. If a new deal cannot be agreed by the end of the summer, the Merseyside club is prepared to offload the player for a fee in the region of €50–60 million,' the report states. Konate's current deal runs until 2026, but Liverpool have seen what can happen when renewal talks drift. The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Madrid for free is still fresh and has made the Anfield hierarchy cautious. Concerns Over Another High-Profile Departure While Liverpool have made significant progress in refreshing the squad this summer, losing Konate would raise questions about defensive continuity, especially following the exits of key figures in previous windows. Advertisement The club reportedly views this transfer window as the cut-off point. They either extend his deal or accept an offer that reflects his value. Photo: IMAGO Sources close to the situation told Caught Offside that Liverpool are 'concerned' about a repeat of the scenario that saw Trent Alexander-Arnold depart for Real Madrid on a free transfer. That concern is justified. At 26, Konate is entering his peak years. He's physically dominant, comfortable on the ball, and one of the few defenders in the league capable of matching elite forwards stride for stride. Value vs. Risk in Liverpool's Summer Planning Konate has become central to Liverpool's backline since his arrival, forging a strong, if at times injury-interrupted, partnership with Virgil van Dijk. Slot will want to build around that stability, not risk it. Advertisement While the club has done well in early summer dealings, selling Konate would immediately shift priorities back to the heart of defence, a position where elite replacements are both scarce and expensive. Allowing him to enter the final two years of his contract without resolution would be a dangerous gamble. There's no shortage of interest, and once a player of Konate's calibre hits the market, clubs like PSG and Bayern are unlikely to wait for a discount. Room for Compromise Still Exists Liverpool's reluctance to meet £200,000 per week reflects their commitment to financial structure, a model that has served them well under FSG. But if they're to compete for the Premier League title again, keeping players like Konate becomes about more than wage policy. Photo: IMAGO Advertisement He remains 'one of the first names on the team sheet,' Caught Offside notes, and it's hard to imagine a version of Liverpool's title tilt without him. Still, compromise is essential. Whether it's through staggered incentives, loyalty bonuses, or a shorter-term extension, the club must find a way to avoid weakening the spine of the squad right before a crucial campaign. Our View – EPL Index Analysis For Liverpool fans, this feels like a familiar and frustrating scenario. A key player, loved by the fans, important to the team, yet somehow edging toward the exit due to financial deadlock. Konate isn't just a strong centre-back, he represents Liverpool's post-Klopp future. Young enough to grow under Slot, experienced enough to lead, and passionate enough to understand the demands of Anfield. Letting him go, even for €60 million, would send the wrong message at the wrong time. Advertisement The £200k wage figure is high, yes. But in the context of today's market, where defenders of similar quality are commanding huge fees and salaries, it's not outrageous. Van Dijk won't be around forever. Neither will Alisson. Keeping the next generation intact should be priority number one. If Konate walks because of a marginal wage dispute, fans will rightly question the club's long-term vision. It's not just about keeping good players, it's about showing that Liverpool remain a destination, not a stepping stone.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Saturday Spread: Statistical Signals Flash Green for CMG, TMUS and VALE
Here's a question you may have wondered about: if meteorologists frequently provide five-day weather forecasts, how come market analysts (within reason) don't do the same for the equities sector? Granted, human behavior can be irrational at times and black swan events by nature are unpredictable. However, on the whole, humans generally think in predictable manners. At first glance, the problem should be easy to address. When forecasting weather, meteorologists utilize ensemble models, historical simulations and probability distributions. By converting the applications toward the equities space, market analysts can assess the three main factors that meteorologists use for the weather: How to Make a 2.0% Yield with UBER Over the Next Month This Week's Market Momentum: 3 Exceptionally Active Options The Saturday Spread: Statistical Signals Flash Green for CMG, TMUS and VALE Markets move fast. Keep up by reading our FREE midday Barchart Brief newsletter for exclusive charts, analysis, and headlines. Define what event they're modeling for Determine when said event might occur. Calculate how likely the event will materialize based on past analogs. Unfortunately, both fundamental and technical analysis runs into a major structural wall when addressing past analogs. In both cases, the measurement metric is non-stationary; that is, the metric changes (often wildly) across time and context. For example, the share price for a hot growth stock may be vastly different from what it was ten years ago and the same can be said about its valuation ratio. With such discrepancies, past analogs are effectively impossible to calculate — unless you impose stationarity on the target dataset. This is the core reason why I've been focused on market breadth, which are sequences of accumulative and distributive sessions. Market breadth is a representation of demand and demand is a binary construct — it's either happening or it's not. As such, it's easily categorizable and quantifiable, thus facilitating probabilistic analysis. Just as importantly, market breadth sequences are falsifiable. Anyone can peer review my work and arrive at the same conclusions. The same cannot be said for certain methodologies, such as interpretive chart patterns in technical analysis. Because of the falsifiability of demand profiles, I'm able to filter out statistically intriguing ideas among hundreds of stocks. Below are three names to watch closely this week. With the closing bell on Friday, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) ended the session up nearly 2%. For the week, the security gained just under 5%, potentially reflecting a sentiment shift. It would be a welcome change of pace. Since the beginning of the year, CMG stock has dropped 12.47%. However, the most intriguing development in my opinion is CMG's quantitative signal. In the past two months, the security printed a 4-6-U sequence: four up weeks, six down weeks, with a net positive trajectory across the 10-week period. This is a rare pattern, materializing only 27 times over the trailing decade. And in 66.67% of cases, the following week's price action results in upside, with a median return of 3.05%. Two circumstances shine a bright light on the above setup. First, CMG stock seems to respond well to positive momentum. While the balance of distributive sessions was greater in the past 10 weeks, the overall trajectory was still northward — and that generally tends to be a bullish sign. Second, as a baseline, the chance that CMG stock will be profitable over any given week is 51.47%. Therefore, long-side speculators are incentivized to consider a debit-based strategy. Aggressive traders may consider the 53/55 bull call spread expiring July 11. Using data from Barchart Premier, the call spread screener effectively identifies the 53/55 spread as arguably the most compelling idea from a risk-reward standpoint. Traders can lower the probabilistic risk to the 51/54 spread; however, doing so dramatically lowers the payout. Right now, T-Mobile US (TMUS) stands at an awkward juncture. TMUS stock started the year auspiciously, at one point gaining about 24% on a year-to-date basis. Since early March, however, the security hasn't looked appetizing, losing roughly 19% of equity value. Still, a quantitative signal suggests that a reversal may be in order. In the past two months, TMUS stock printed a 4-6-D sequence: four up weeks, six down weeks, with a net negative trajectory across the 10-week period. At first glance, the balance of distributive sessions outnumbering accumulative may not seem like a good sign. Nevertheless, in 62% of cases, the following week's price action results in upside, with a median return of 2.48%. On Friday, TMUS stock closed at $221.52. If the implications of the aforementioned sequence pan out as projected, the equity could reach over $227 quite quickly. Should the bulls maintain control of the market, they could drive the price above the $230 level over the next few weeks based on past empirical analogs. Those interested in taking a shot may consider the 220/230 bull call spread expiring July 18. This trade gives you about four weeks for the above thesis to pan out. If TMUS stock rises through the short strike price ($230) at expiration, the maximum payout for this trade clocks in at over 105%. As a metals and mining company, Vale (VALE) commands significant relevance. At the same time, global economic uncertainty — exacerbated by ideological paradigm shifts and now a geopolitical crisis — fundamentally clouds the narrative. On the technical front, VALE stock has gained just over 2% YTD, with the security struggling for traction since early April. Still, those who understand the ebb and flow of the financial markets may be enticed with the mining enterprise. Quantitatively, in the past two months, VALE stock has printed a 3-7-D sequence: three up weeks, seven down weeks, with a negative trajectory across the period. Ordinarily, the balance of distributive sessions grossly outweighing accumulative is a cause for concern. For VALE, it's an invitation to put it on one's radar. In 60.47% of cases when the 3-7-D sequence flashes, the following week's price action results in upside, with a median return of 2.79%. What makes this setup all the more enticing is that, as a baseline, the chance that a long position in VALE stock will rise over any given week is only 49.91%. Statistically, VALE suffers from a slight negative bias. However, the aforementioned sequence tilts the odds in favor of the bullish speculator. Further, should the bulls maintain control, VALE could move toward the $9.50 level over the next few weeks. With the market intelligence above, traders may consider the 9.00/9.50 bull call spread expiring July 11. While there are certainly call spreads with far bigger payouts, the 9.00/9.50 is arguably the most realistic transaction. On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on 登入存取你的投資組合