SoftBank's shares have plummeted 50% since their June peak, with rising credit-default swaps reflecting increased investor anxiety over potential AI-related risks.

Meta has secured an agreement allowing Mark Zuckerberg to sell shares while maintaining control, ensuring his stay in California despite a potential wealth tax.

Meta is issuing a new class of non-voting shares to fund its AI initiatives, potential acquisitions, and employee compensation, with trading set to begin in 2027.

India has stopped using sugar for ethanol production in 2026-27 to boost domestic supply and control soaring retail prices amid concerns over reduced sugar output.

Hyundai Motor Group has announced a $15.5 billion investment plan for India covering the 2026–2032 period, including roughly $700 million for research and development, added production capacity and vehicle testing facilities. The group's current annual production capacity in India exceeds 1.4 million vehicles. It plans to raise capacity at its Pune plant in phases and turn India into a global automotive export hub. The program spans the group's overall Indian operations, covering both the Hyundai and Kia brands.

Sugar prices in India have climbed as much as 17% in six days, driven by strong festive demand and tighter supply. An extra 300,000 tons of sugar released by the government has failed to ease the shortage. To cool prices, India has approved duty-free imports of 1 million tons of raw sugar, capped dealer inventories and barred bulk buyers from purchasing in the domestic market. Crushing has been delayed in Maharashtra and Karnataka because the cane is not yet mature, adding to concern that prices could rise again before Diwali.

AI company Anthropic is planning a November initial public offering and is seeking a valuation of up to $2 trillion. The company posted a net loss of nearly $42 billion in 2025, even as revenue climbed from about $386 million in 2024 to roughly $4.6 billion last year. Its prospectus devotes about 80 pages to risk factors, including the possibility that increasingly capable AI systems could act in ways developers cannot fully predict or control.

NVIDIA shares hit a record high of more than $237 on Friday morning, lifting the company’s market value to about $5.7 trillion and pushing it closer to the $6 trillion milestone. The rally has been supported by expectations that demand for AI agents will boost semiconductor demand. The company has gained about 27% so far this year and announced a record $150 billion increase to its stock buyback plan. CEO Jensen Huang’s net worth rose to $203.2 billion, making him the world’s seventh-richest person.

Bitcoin fell below the $80,000 mark, down 3.5% on the day, as strong U.S. employment data reinforced expectations of a September rate hike by the Federal Reserve and pushed the dollar higher. The stronger dollar weighed on risk assets, dragging crypto-related stocks lower. Coinbase fell nearly 4%, while Strategy Inc. and Circle Internet Group each slipped about 2%. Fed Governor Christopher Waller suggested he could support keeping rates steady if inflation continues to cool down.