Connect with us
DAPA Banner
DAPA Coin
DAPA
COIN PAYMENT ASSET
PRIVACY · BLOCKDAG · HOMOMORPHIC ENCRYPTION · RUST
ElGamal Encrypted MINE DAPA
🚫 GENESIS SOLD OUT
DAPAPAY COMING

Business

Used Electric Car Sales Hit Record High in Q1 2026

Published

on

Used Electric Car Sales Hit Record High in Q1 2026

Britain’s second-hand electric vehicle market has shifted into a higher gear, with sales of used battery-electric cars climbing to a record high in the opening quarter of the year as buyers wrestling with stubbornly high pump prices reassess the cost of motoring.

Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 86,943 used pure-electric cars changed hands between January and March, a 32 per cent jump on the same period last year and the strongest quarterly performance since records began. Battery-electric models also captured a record 4.3 per cent share of the second-hand market, edging the technology closer to the mainstream.

The headline EV growth came against a notably subdued backdrop for the wider sector. The SMMT reported that just over two million used vehicles in total changed hands during the first three months, leaving the broader market essentially flat. That contrast underlines the speed at which the electrification thesis is now feeding through to ordinary forecourt decisions, particularly among private buyers and small business owners weighing the total cost of ownership.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said the surge reflected the widening pool of affordable used electric stock coming back into the market three or four years after the first significant wave of new EV registrations. He warned, however, that the trajectory remained dependent on continued policy support for the new-car market that ultimately supplies it.

“Growing choice from manufacturers is feeding through into the second-hand electric vehicle market,” Mr Hawes said. “High fuel prices, given the conflict in Iran, may increase demand even further but to maintain this momentum, every fiscal and policy lever must be pulled to ensure a healthy new car market that delivers zero-emission vehicles that can in future flow through to the used market.”

Advertisement

His comments will be read closely in Whitehall, where ministers are under pressure to revisit incentives for both private buyers and the company car schemes that have, until now, done much of the heavy lifting on EV adoption. With the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate continuing to ratchet up the proportion of electric models manufacturers must sell, any softening in new-car demand would, on current trends, eventually choke off the supply of nearly new EVs that smaller businesses and private motorists are increasingly hunting down.

Ian Plummer, chief customer officer at Auto Trader, said the data dovetailed with the behaviour his platform was already seeing among shoppers. “The real story is how the market’s evolving, particularly in terms of electrification. Used EV transactions are up, and market share is rising. That mirrors what we’re seeing on our platform, where nearly one in four used car inquiries are for sub-five-year-old electric models,” he said.

“Rising prices at the pump, driven by global instability, are prompting more people to reassess their running costs, helping to accelerate this shift even further.”

For SME owners running pool cars and small fleets, the figures will sharpen an already pressing calculation. With petrol and diesel prices once again being buffeted by geopolitical risk, the gap between forecourt costs and home or depot charging is widening, while improving used-EV residuals are easing one of the longest-standing objections to making the switch. Whether the government can keep the new-car pipeline flowing strongly enough to sustain that supply, however, remains the question hanging over the second half of the year.

Advertisement

Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Business

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (RARE) Presents at Bank of America Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript

Published

on

OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Q1: 2026-05-05 Earnings Summary

EPS of -$1.54 misses by $0.08

 | Revenue of $136.00M (-2.36% Y/Y) misses by $22.41M

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (RARE) Bank of America Global Healthcare Conference 2026 May 12, 2026 5:20 PM EDT

Company Participants

Howard Horn – Executive VP of Corporate Strategy & CFO
Joshua Higa – Director of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Advertisement

Presentation

Unknown Analyst

I’m one of the biotech analysts here at BofA. Our next presenting company is Ultragenyx. And here with me are Howard Horn, Chief Financial Officer; and Josh Higa, Head of IR. Thank you for joining us, guys.

Advertisement

Question-and-Answer Session

Unknown Analyst

Advertisement

So I think there’s a lot going on at the company. I think most people are familiar with it, but maybe we can start with a quick overview of the company, kind of your commercial products, and you have a very busy second half of the year. So maybe you can highlight some of the key catalysts coming up.

Howard Horn
Executive VP of Corporate Strategy & CFO

Sure. Glad to, and thank you for having us. So Ultragenyx is a next-generation rare disease company on a pathway to profitability in 2027. We have 4 commercialized products, and we are estimating between $730 million and $760 million in revenue this year. We are hopeful to have 2 approvals and launches of 2 gene therapy programs this year. And the other data event people are waiting for is our Phase III data in Angelman that we talked about coming out in the second half of the year. So yes, it’s a very busy year.

Advertisement

Unknown Analyst

All right. Great. Maybe we can start with a quick question on the commercial side. So you recently reported earnings. I think there was a slight miss in the quarter, but you reaffirmed your guidance for the year. Maybe you can talk to us a little bit about 1Q dynamics and kind of what gives you

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Business

Preparing for the impact of GLP-1s

Published

on

Preparing for the impact of GLP-1s

Webinar speakers touched on how the drugs are affecting product formulation.

Continue Reading

Business

Sebi may relax norms for select agri commodity F&O contracts

Published

on

Sebi may relax norms for select agri commodity F&O contracts
Mumbai: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Tuesday proposed to allow select agricultural commodity derivatives contracts to begin trading as cash settled instruments before transitioning to mandatory physical settlement.

The regulator said exchanges may be allowed on a pilot basis, to launch or revive delivery-based agricultural contracts that initially operate as financially settled products and later shift to compulsory physical settlement once predefined thresholds such as average daily traded volume, open interest levels, or a two-year period are met. “Liquidity formation in several agricultural contracts remains constrained, especially at the launch or relaunch stage. Low volumes and limited open interest can reduce market confidence, creating a feedback loop that further suppresses participation,” Sebi said in a discussion paper.

“Although accredited warehouses and assaying mechanisms have expanded, their utilisation in certain commodities remains limited.”

Sebi suggested that on a pilot basis, a couple of commodities could be considered under the proposed framework such as maize, groundnut and chilli.

Advertisement

In a separate development, Sebi has also proposed doubling the client-level open position limits across all categories of agri commodities.


Continue Reading

Business

Dalal Street sees sharp selloff as rising oil and dollar rush hurt sentiment

Published

on

Dalal Street sees sharp selloff as rising oil and dollar rush hurt sentiment
Mumbai: The rupee slumped to a record low for the second day running and key equity indices slumped nearly 2% on Tuesday, their biggest single-day fall in six weeks, after uncertainty over the outcome of the US-Iran peace talks sent oil prices higher.

US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was on “life support” after Tehran’s cold response to an American proposal to end the war, which, combined with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s austerity call, has eroded market confidence.

The Indian currency came under renewed pressure, closing at a record of 95.62 per dollar after touching an intraday low of 95.75. Traders attributed the latest bout of weakness to elevated oil prices and mounting concerns over the fiscal deficit outlook. The PM’s appeal to the public also triggered a rush for dollars, traders said. The currency had previously settled at 95.31 to the dollar and remains highly sensitive to movement in crude oil prices.

The Nifty fell 436.3 points or 1.8% to close at 23,379.55. The Sensex declined 1,456.04 points or 1.9% to end at 74,559.24. On Monday, both indices had slipped 1.5-1.7%. The fall over the past two days has wiped off ₹16.8 lakh crore in BSE’s market capitalisation. “Expectations of an early end to the war have also been reassessed after recent events,” said Rakesh Vyas of Quest Investment.

Advertisement
Screenshot 2026-05-13 062225Agencies

Hopes Fading

“Higher crude, combined with record rupee weakness, elevated gold imports and capital outflows, has soured sentiment in the markets,” he said. Vyas, who is CIO and portfolio manager at Quest Investment Managers, said index heavyweight IT stocks also corrected on Tuesday due to renewed concerns over AI disruption and a weak demand outlook, sharpening the fall.
Crude prices inched up by over 3% on Tuesday to cross $107, while the Nifty IT index dropped 3.7%.
In the forex market, the Reserve Bank of India likely intervened at around the 95.50 and 95.75 per dollar levels through state-run banks to curb excessive rupee depreciation, traders said. Market participants added that sustained support for the currency will ultimately depend on attracting fresh dollar inflows into the country.
“Following the PM’s comments, gold traders have grown increasingly anxious about the possibility of policy changes, maybe a potential increase in import duty rates,” said Anil Bhansali, head of treasury at Finrex Treasury Advisors. “That uncertainty has triggered heavy dollar buying from the bullion traders over the past two sessions.” He expects the rupee to trade between 95.25 and 96 per dollar on Wednesday. “Everyone is already aware of the situation around Hormuz and the blockade,” said a trader at a private sector bank. “But when the PM comes out and asks the public to reduce consumption, it signals that there may be something more to worry about. Market participants are now bracing for possible policy changes, and that is triggering panic dollar buying.”

The India Volatility Index (VIX), known as the fear gauge of the market, jumped 3.9% to 19.28 levels on Tuesday, indicating rising caution among traders.

Broader market indices underperformed the benchmark, as the Nifty Midcap 150 dropped 2.5% and Nifty Small-cap 250 fell 3%. Out of the total 4,410 stocks traded on the BSE, 782 advanced and 3,500 declined on Tuesday.

The trend remains “sell-on-rise,” said Bhavya Shah, technical research analyst at Stoxbox.

“Traders should avoid catching falling knives, utilising temporary retracements to execute hedged shorts until a definitive base forms,” he said. However, the 23,140-23,210 zone remains a strong support area for the Nifty, offering a tactical opportunity to build small long positions with defined risk, said Shah.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Business

Mama’s Creations adds to prepared meal offerings

Published

on

Mama’s Creations adds to prepared meal offerings

Three new prepared meals are rolling out at Walmart stores. 

Continue Reading

Business

Plans for Australia’s first Trump Tower scrapped due to ‘toxic’ brand, developer says

Published

on

Trump Organization unveils plans for 'Australia's tallest skyscraper'

“After months of negotiations and empty promise, after empty promise, on a supposed $1.5 billion project, Altus Property Group was unable to meet the most basic financial obligation due upon the execution of the agreement,” Kimberly Benza, director of executive operations for the Trump Organization, said.

Continue Reading

Business

Alphabet Stock Dips 0.41% to $385 as Investors Digest Heavy AI Spending and Cloud Momentum

Published

on

Tech giant Google reported robust third-quarter results, but worries persist about whether it is losing ground in the AI race

NEW YORK — Alphabet Inc. Class C shares (NASDAQ: GOOG) slipped 0.41% to $385.17 in midday trading Tuesday, giving back a portion of recent gains as Wall Street weighed the company’s aggressive capital expenditure plans against its accelerating artificial intelligence and cloud growth. The modest decline came amid broader market caution, even as analysts continue to view the Google parent as a core long-term AI winner.

Volume remained solid as investors processed Alphabet’s strong first-quarter results from mid-April alongside updated full-year guidance that includes significantly higher spending on AI infrastructure. The stock has traded in a wide range this year, recently testing all-time highs near $400 before pulling back on profit-taking and concerns over elevated capital costs.

Alphabet reported blockbuster Q1 2026 earnings on April 29, with revenue climbing 22% to $109.9 billion, beating expectations. Google Cloud revenue surged 63% to a record $20 billion, driven by explosive demand for AI infrastructure and Gemini models. The company raised its 2026 capital expenditure outlook to $180-190 billion, reflecting massive investments in data centers, chips and AI capabilities.

Cloud and AI Leadership Fuel Optimism

Google Cloud continues to gain meaningful market share, with its backlog nearly doubling quarter-over-quarter to more than $460 billion. A major highlight has been Alphabet’s deepening partnership with Anthropic, including reports of a potential $200 billion multi-year commitment to Google Cloud that could represent over 40% of future contracted cloud revenue.

Advertisement

CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted strong momentum across AI products during the earnings call, noting rapid adoption of Gemini models and new consumer features. The company also launched new hardware like the Fitbit Air with Gemini integration, expanding its presence in health and wearables.

Despite the heavy spending, Alphabet delivered robust profitability. Operating income rose 30% with margins expanding to 36.1%. Net income jumped 81% to $62.6 billion, boosted partly by gains on equity investments, while adjusted EPS hit $5.11. The company also increased its quarterly dividend by 5% to $0.22 per share.

Valuation and Analyst Sentiment

Alphabet trades at a forward price-to-earnings multiple around 30-31, which some view as reasonable given its growth trajectory and AI leadership. Analysts maintain largely bullish outlooks, with recent price target increases to $435-$460. Consensus remains a strong Buy, with projections calling for continued double-digit revenue growth fueled by cloud and advertising resilience.

However, investors remain watchful of execution risks. Elevated capex could pressure free cash flow in the near term, and competition from Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and emerging AI players remains intense. Regulatory scrutiny in Europe and antitrust concerns in the U.S. also loom as ongoing overhangs.

Advertisement

Technical Picture and Market Context

GOOG has shown resilience, outperforming broader indices in recent months thanks to AI tailwinds. Support levels sit near $375-$380, with resistance around $395-$400. Year-to-date performance remains positive despite today’s mild pullback, as the stock benefits from its position at the center of the AI infrastructure boom.

Broader market dynamics played a role in Tuesday’s trading. Lingering geopolitical tensions, oil price movements and mixed economic signals have created a cautious environment for big tech names. Rotation out of some high-valuation growth stocks into other sectors also contributed to selective pressure on Alphabet.

Strategic Bets Paying Off

Alphabet’s heavy investment in AI appears to be yielding results. Google Search continues to evolve with AI Overviews, YouTube benefits from enhanced recommendations, and the company’s Waymo autonomous vehicles expand in select markets despite occasional setbacks like recent recalls. The firm’s focus on “agentic AI” and multimodal models positions it well for future monetization opportunities.

Analysts highlight Alphabet’s diversified revenue streams — advertising still dominates but cloud and subscriptions provide meaningful growth engines. The company’s $73 billion-plus free cash flow generation offers flexibility for further investments, dividends, buybacks and potential acquisitions.

Advertisement

Outlook Remains Bright

Looking ahead, investors will watch Alphabet’s progress on AI monetization, cloud margin expansion and capex efficiency. The second half of 2026 could bring more clarity on return on invested capital from massive infrastructure builds. Any acceleration in Gemini adoption or new enterprise wins could provide fresh catalysts.

For long-term shareholders, today’s dip may represent another buying opportunity in a company many consider foundational to the AI era. While short-term volatility tied to spending concerns or market rotations is likely, Alphabet’s competitive moats in search, cloud and data give it strong staying power.

As midday trading continued Tuesday, GOOG held near session lows with no immediate reversal signals. The coming weeks will feature more tech earnings, economic data and AI conference updates that could influence sentiment. For now, Alphabet’s modest decline reflects normal market digestion rather than any fundamental shift in its powerful growth story.

The tech giant remains one of the best-positioned companies to capitalize on the ongoing artificial intelligence transformation, even as it navigates the costs of building that future.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Business

Global Market Today: Asian stocks track Wall Street lower on US CPI

Published

on

Global Market Today: Asian stocks track Wall Street lower on US CPI
Asian stocks dropped following losses on Wall Street as US inflation quickened, showing the impact of higher oil prices since the war in Iran started.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.4% with South Korean shares declining 2.4%. US equity-index futures also slipped after the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq 100 Index retreated on Tuesday, with a gauge of chipmakers slumping 3% following a record-breaking rally.

A faster-than-estimated rise in the core US consumer price index spurred an increase in Treasury yields during the US session, with traders boosting bets on a Federal Reserve interest-rate hike in 2027. Brent crude edged lower to hold at over $107 barrel on Wednesday, following three consecutive days of gains.

Elevated oil prices and mounting inflation risks are threatening to derail the blistering rebound in equities from their war-driven lows, a rally fueled by gains in semiconductor stocks and robust earnings from megacap tech companies. The surge in chipmakers has already prompted calls for a pause, as the conflict in Iran clouds the outlook for growth while adding to price pressures.

Advertisement

“Strong US CPI raises the possibility of a more hawkish stance from the Fed, with rising US yields seen as a headwind for equities,” said Kazunori Tatebe, chief strategist at Daiwa Asset Management. “It’s concerning that this could intensify pressure on growth stocks, such as AI and semiconductors, which have been leading the market.”


US inflation accelerated in April on rising gasoline and grocery costs, exceeding wage growth in a double-whammy for already strained consumers. The CPI rose 3.8% from a year earlier, the most since 2023. The core gauge, which excludes food and energy, increased 2.8%. A gauge of the dollar advanced for a second session on Tuesday.
Treasuries fell as rising oil prices threatened to keep inflation at levels that could prompt the Fed to raise rates next year. The US 30-year yield reached 5.02%, within two basis points of this year’s high, while two-year yields traded at about 4% during the US session.“Inflation is roaring back — largely driven by stubbornly high oil prices — which will dominate the inflation story for the rest of the year as the conflict continues to unfold in the Middle East,” said Skyler Weinand at Regan Capital.

Continue Reading

Business

Oil prices slip on teetering Iran ceasefire as Trump heads to China

Published

on

Oil prices slip on teetering Iran ceasefire as Trump heads to China
TOKYO, – Oil prices fell on Wednesday after rising in three consecutive sessions, as investors awaited developments around the fragile ceasefire in the Iran war and U.S. President Donald Trump headed to China for a high stakes summit with President Xi Jinping.

Brent crude futures lost 82 cents, or 0.76%, to trade at $106.95 a barrel at 0051 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 66 cents, or 0.65%, to $101.52.

Both benchmarks have largely hovered around ‌or above the $100 ⁠per barrel ⁠mark since the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran at the end of February and Tehran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices rose by over 3% on Tuesday, extending earlier gains as hopes for the lasting U.S.-Iran ceasefire faded, dimming prospects of re-opening the strait, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally flows.

Advertisement

Trump said on Tuesday he does not think he will need China’s help to end the war with Iran, even as hopes for a lasting ⁠peace deal dwindled ‌and Tehran tightened its grip over the strait.


China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil despite pressure from the Trump administration. Trump meets his Chinese counterpart Xi in Beijing ⁠on Thursday and Friday.
“The length of the disruption and the scale of the supply loss – already more than 1 billion barrels – means oil prices are likely to remain above $80 per barrel for the rest of the year,” Eurasia Group said in a client note. The war with Iran has started to take its toll on the U.S. economy, the world’s biggest, as higher oil prices lead to more expensive fuels, and economists expect to see second-round effects in the months ahead.

In April, U.S. consumer prices rose sharply for a second straight month, ‌resulting in the largest annual increase in inflation in nearly three years, bolstering expectations that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates flat for a while.

“The marked increase in inflation across advanced economies has yet to ⁠cause real spending to contract, but the widespread decline in consumer sentiment and hiring intentions points to worse to come,” the Capital Economics said in a client note.

Elevated interest rates make borrowings more expensive, potentially denting demand for oil.

Advertisement

As the Iran war continues, U.S. crude oil inventories fell for a fourth straight week last week and distillate inventories also declined, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute data.

Official inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, are due at 10:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT) on Wednesday, with a Reuters poll also predicting a decline in stockpiles.

Continue Reading

Business

Howmet Aerospace EVP, CAO Neil Marchuk sells $11.3m in stock

Published

on


Howmet Aerospace EVP, CAO Neil Marchuk sells $11.3m in stock

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025