The Week in Numbers: Trump, Tesla, Hyundai, Samsung, and Fast Retailing

Venezuela Oil Deal

• 💡 Up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude could be sent to US ports, according to a deal reached between Washington and Caracas.
• 🎯 This move followed claims by President Donald Trump that up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil could be turned over to the US and sold at market prices.

Tesla's EV Sales Drop

• 📉 Tesla experienced an over 8% drop in full-year sales, resulting in the firm losing its title as the top electric vehicle seller.
• 🚀 China's BYD surpassed Tesla to take the number one spot in EV sales.
• ⚠️ Factors contributing to Tesla's decline include growing competition, the end of US tax credits, and backlash against Elon Musk's political actions.

Hyundai's Market Performance and Robot Debut

• 📈 Hyundai's share price saw a jump of almost 15% amid speculation of closer ties with Nvidia.
• 🤝 Hyundai Chair Huen Chung and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met at the Consumer Electronics Show, fueling this speculation.
• 🤖 Hyundai's Boston Dynamics debuted its humanoid robot, Atlas, with plans to deploy these robots in factories within a few years.

Samsung's Chip Profit Surge

• 📊 Samsung projected an operating profit of $13.8 billion for the October to December quarter, significantly exceeding analyst estimates.
• 🚀 This represents a three-fold jump in profit from the previous year, driven by a surge in chip prices due to high demand, largely from AI.

Fast Retailing's Profit Growth

• 💰 Fast Retailing, the owner of Uniqlo, raised its new yearly operating profit target to over $4.1 billion from a previous $3.8 billion.
• 💸 The Japanese firm reported its latest profit surged by a third to $1.3 billion, with revenue up 15% during the September to November period, beating analyst expectations.