Plans to cut prices at family attractions over the summer holidays will be a “wonderful initiative” to help more people visit, a business has said.

Government plans coming into force on Thursday will cut VAT on some tickets to attractions in the UK, with the discount expected to be passed on by businesses to customers.

James Robson, general manager of Birdworld in Farnham, Surrey, said that he hoped the move would make visiting easier for families with less money, but also called for a more lasting initiative to help attractions.

“This opens up accessibility to people who might be feeling the strain over the summer holidays,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful initiative that looks to provide a bit of tax relief through the summer holidays.

“It’s getting more and more expensive to run these attractions, and long term it would be good to see further relief.”

Global markets are drawing confidence from easing geopolitical tensions, cooling oil prices, and another round of robust earnings from artificial intelligence (AI)-linked companies, according to Matt Orton from Raymond James Investment. With crude oil retreating from recent highs and optimism surrounding AI remaining intact, investors are increasingly viewing market pullbacks as buying opportunities rather than reasons for caution.

Speaking to ET Now, Orton said that while uncertainties remain around global trade negotiations, the removal of worst-case economic scenarios has significantly improved investor sentiment.

“We are removing left-tail scenarios from the table. Some of the worst-case outcomes continue to be taken away, and that is encouraging… All of this is fuel for markets to continue to move higher, and it supports my optimistic case to buy the market on weakness and continue to hold it throughout the rest of this year,” he added.

AI Companies’ Debt Not a Major Concern

Addressing concerns over rising debt issuance by AI and semiconductor firms, Orton argued that investors should focus on individual company fundamentals rather than broad market narratives.

“Most of these companies have incredibly low debt burdens overall… The majority of the hyperscalers’ balance sheets remain incredibly clean, and I do not have concerns with respect to their ability to fund and finance,” he said.Dollar Strength Could Continue to Pressure Emerging Markets
Orton believes the US dollar remains an underappreciated driver of global markets, particularly for emerging economies like India.
He said a stronger dollar has affected foreign investment flows and created headwinds for commodities, including gold and silver.
“The dollar is going to be the sleeper factor… Rupee weakness has been a key reason why foreign investors have been a little bit resistant to put money back in. Until you start to see the dollar weaken, you are going to continue to see pressure across the broader emerging market complex,” he said.

Micron Results Reinforce the AI Growth Story
Micron Technology’s latest earnings, according to Orton, demonstrate that AI-driven demand remains strong and that supply constraints could persist for several more years.

“Even the whisper numbers on the buy side were met or exceeded… You are still seeing more backlogs being added, margins being strengthened, and that is just a recipe for continued gains,” he said.

He added that investors should continue focusing on high-quality companies benefiting from strong earnings momentum.

Market Optimism Is Narrow, But Opportunities Remain
While sentiment has improved considerably, Orton cautioned that the rally is concentrated in a handful of semiconductor stocks rather than the broader market.

He also noted that increasing use of leveraged investment products could lead to greater volatility.

“Investor sentiment is very narrow… It creates opportunities, but it also means investors really need to manage risk,” he said.

Despite the concentration, Orton believes diversified exposure remains the best strategy.

“To me, that is an opportunity to own markets like India, Europe, and Japan because those are good diversifiers to that really high beta that you might have in your overall portfolio,” he said.

Mike Chang
Vice President of Corporate Development & Investor Relations

All right. Good afternoon, and welcome to Samsara’s Investor Day. My name is Mike Chang, and I’m SVP of Finance here at Samsara. And first off, just thank you all for making the journey out here to a very, very hot Las Vegas to join us in person. And it’s amazing to see so many familiar faces in the audience. And for those who are joining virtually, it’s great to have you on as well.

We have an awesome, awesome agenda pack for you today. We have about 2.5 hours full of content, and we’re going to talk about how we’re bringing AI to the world of physical operations.

Before we get it started, there are a few housekeeping items. The key 2 things is, first, we’re going to be assessing forward-looking metrics during today’s presentation. These should be taken in addition to — sorry, these statements contain risks and uncertainties, and these are detailed further in SEC filings and our Investor Relations website. Second, we’ll

The Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF was among the top-performing exchange-traded funds focused on stocks with particular characteristics, or factors, while the Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF was one of the big laggards.

Anything focused on momentum, growth, and tech was struggling, while value, dividend stocks, and ETFs with a lot of consumer staples, real estate, health care, or energy stocks were rising.

Ferrari’s marketing boss has quit after 16 years at the company just weeks after a backlash over the launch of the supercar maker’s first-ever electric car, the Luce.

The firm announced this week that Enrico Galliera would leave the role of chief marketing and commercial officer. He will be replaced by former BMW Italy head Massimiliano Di Silvestre in July.

Ferrari thanked Galliera for his service and said he had “decided to embark on a new chapter in his professional journey – a decision shared with the company some time ago.”

The Luce was heavily criticised when it was unveiled in May. Ferrari did not mention the launch in its statement about Galliera’s departure.

Chief executive Benedetto Vigna said that Galliera “has played a significant role in the company’s growth and in strengthening the Ferrari brand worldwide.”

Galliera’s role involved managing which clients could purchase the luxury car maker’s highly sought-after vehicles.

“He has the gratitude of the entire Ferrari team and my personal best wishes for the future,” Vigna said in the statement.

The BBC has contacted Galliera for comment.

Since taking the role in 2010, Galliera has been involved in many of the firm’s key events.

LaFerrari, Ferrari’s first production hybrid hypercar, which combines a petrol engine and an electric motor, was launched in 2013.

In 2015, the firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange and in Milan the following year.

However, the launch of the $640,000 (£485,552) Luce spawned a host of internet memes and negative reactions.

Its looks, the brain-child of iPhone designer Sir Jony Ive, was criticised by the company’s former chairman, Italy’s deputy prime minister and transport minister Matteo Salvini.

The company’s shares plunged by 8% the day after the Luce was unveiled.