CNBC

LONDON — European stocks are expected to open in negative territory on Wednesday as global markets keep a close eye on elevated bond yields and await U.K. inflation data due later this morning. The U.K.'s FTSE index is seen opening 0.6% lower, Germany's DAX down 0.7%, France's CAC 40 down 0.5% and Italy's FTSE MIB 0.4% lower, accoridng to data from IG. European bourses look set to follow Asia-Pacific markets lower as investors assess elevated bond yields and inflationary pressures. Yields on U.S. Treasurys rose Tuesday with the 30-year Treasury yield above 5.19%, its highest level since 2007. Meanwhile, the benchmark 10-year yield climbed toward 4.69%.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — As the retail world navigates the first half of 2026, a strange paradox has taken hold of the global fashion industry. On the one hand, the runways of Paris and the digital storefronts of fashion giants are flooded with "green" messaging. Danish jeweler Pandora is focusing on lab-grown diamonds, Kering's Gucci is touting "circular" polyester, and major retail apps are rolling out resale platforms. But despite the marketing blitz, fashion executives admit that most consumers, battered by a persistent cost-of-living crisis, aren't willing to pay more for an ethically produced product, or "sustainability premium." Instead, shoppers have become increasingly selective and price-sensitive, looking for value above all else.

Moms First & Girls Who Code Founder Reshma Saujani talks with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin about the growing “power gap” for women in AI. Listen to the full episode on the CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast: apple.co/4347Y0X

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday arrived in Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday, with the long-stalled Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline key to the agenda, as the Iran war disrupts energy supplies. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Tuesday that the project "will be discussed in great detail between the leaders." The planned 2,600-kilometer pipeline would carry 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia's Yamal fields to China via Mongolia. Moscow and Beijing signed a legally binding memorandum to advance construction in September 2025, but pricing, financing terms, and a delivery timeline reportedly remain unresolved.

CHONGQING, China — Alibaba announced Wednesday its new artificial intelligence chip would be three times as powerful as its predecessor, as rival Nvidia struggles to get its advanced chips into China. The Zhenwu M890 delivers three times the performance of the current Zhenwu 810E, Alibaba said, adding that the new processor has 144 GB GPU memory and interchip bandwidth of 800 GB per second. Alibaba said it had already delivered 560,000 Zhenwu units to more than 400 customers across 20 industries.

Singapore has inked separate agreements with Google and OpenAI to strengthen its position as a global artificial intelligence hub and accelerate AI deployment across public services, healthcare, education and enterprise. The agreements, announced on Wednesday, include a new National AI Partnership with Google and the first memorandum of understanding between Singapore and OpenAI, which will see it set up an AI lab in the city. Under the partnership, OpenAI will commit more than 300 million Singapore dollars ($234 million) to strengthen Singapore's AI ecosystem, according to a joint statement released by the ChatGPT-maker and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.

Moms First & Girls Who Code Founder Reshma Saujani tells CNBC’s Julia Boorstin that the “trad wife vs. girl boss” debate is just the latest version of a long-running culture war that distracts from practical solutions like affordable childcare and paid family leave. Listen to the full episode on the CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast: apple.co/4347Y0X

A strike involving more than 47,000 Samsung workers will begin on Thursday after wage negotiations between the company and its union broke down on Wednesday, sending shares of the South Korean chip giant down 3%. A South Korean court had previously ordered that the walkout not interfere with safety protection facilities or obstruct work, to prevent damage to facilities and wafer deterioration. The union's demands had revolved around Samsung's performance-based bonus system. It is seeking performance bonuses equivalent to 15% of Samsung's operating profit, the removal of bonus payout caps, and a formalized bonus structure, among other measures.

Moms First & Girls Who Code Founder Reshma Saujani talks with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin about why she believes motherhood in America is “impossible by design.” Listen to the full episode on the CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast: apple.co/4347Y0X

U.S. Treasurys have entered a "danger zone" as surging long-term yields raise fears that sticky inflation and hawkish rate expectations could begin spilling over into equities and broader risk assets, said HSBC. The selloff in government bonds intensified Tuesday, pushing the 30-year Treasury yield above 5.19% to its highest level since 2007. Meanwhile, the benchmark 10-year yield climbed toward 4.69%. Yields on the 30-year are up slightly less than 1 basis point at 5.184% as of 9:10p.m. ET, while yields on the 10 year are at 4.667%.