Be in the know. 18 key reads for Friday…

  1. Gen Z shoppers can’t get enough of perfumes. Coty, Estee are benefiting (reuters)
  2. Luxury and lifestyle giants signal renewed confidence in China’s consumer recovery (scmp)
  3. Holiday Sales Will Exceed $1 Trillion for the First Time, NRF Predicts (barrons)
  4. Lululemon China Head Discusses Consumption Outlook (youtube)
  5. Ant Group picks AI-assisted healthcare as new growth area amid China’s rapid ageing (scmp)
  6. Buy Alibaba, Sell Meituan Pair Trade Thrives on Price War Bets (bloomberg)
  7. Growth Rebounds On Jensen’s Jab (chinalastnight)
  8. Nexperia Spat Eases as Chip Flows Open Door to Dutch Retreat (bloomberg)
  9. Honda plans 13 new hybrid models by 2030 amid EV uncertainty (usatoday)
  10. Ford Considers Scrapping Electric Version of F-150 Truck (wsj)
  11. Trump administration announces Boeing deals in Central Asia (reuters)
  12. Boeing Avoids US Criminal Charge in 737 Max Jet Crash Case (bloomberg)
  13. Restaurant Chains Feel the Squeeze as Customers Pinch Pennies (barrons)
  14. Diageo “working hard” to respond to US Tequila slowdown (yahoo)
  15. Shale Operators Defy $60 Oil to Keep Increasing Production (bloomberg)
  16. Albemarle Earnings: Shares Rise on Improved Free Cash Flow Generation (morningstar)
  17. US Companies to Boost Their Borrowing in 2026, Wells Fargo Says (bloomberg)
  18. Is AI Too Big to Fail? OpenAI’s Finance Chief May Have Said the Quiet Part Out Loud. (barrons)