July 16-31, 2025

2025-07-17

[BNN Bloomberg, Andrew Bell - Canada]: Sour feeling: Shares in corn processor Archer-Daniels-Midland, a producer of high fructose syrup, dropped five per cent in premarket trading. That’s after U.S. President Donald Trump said Coca-Cola has agreed to use “real cane sugar” in Coke soda in the U.S. Coke itself was guarded, saying “more details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Alvin Tai says, “using sugar would displace high-fructose corn syrup, creating an oversupply of corn and hurting ADM’s corn-processing business.”

Drying out: Finally, Debra Crew, CEO of global booze giant Diageo, has quit after two years. The Wall Street Journal says the seller of Johnnie Walker whisky, Guinness and Smirnoff vodkas has struggled with a drop in alcohol consumption and tariff uncertainty. The publisher says consumers’ thirst for Diageo’s high-end libations slowed in the U.S. and other parts of the world “after a pandemic-era booze boom came to an end.

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2025-07-16

[BNN Bloomberg, Terry Cain - Canada]: Gold deal: We have yet another takeover in the precious metals space. AngloGold Ashanti has offered to buy Toronto-listed Augusta Gold for $1.70 per share in cash in a deal valued at about $197 million. That’s a premium of almost 30 per cent to yesterday’s close. Augusta is developing gold projects in Nevada, U.S.

Silver screens well: Citigroup says silver will extend its rally beyond US$40 an ounce in the coming months on tightening physical supplies and

growing investment demand but the bank is still cautious on gold. Citi analysts warn that the peak may be in for gold and that the precious metal will drop below US$3,000 next year, down from just over $3,340 today.

Stocks turnaround: U.S. stock futures recovered from earlier losses, lifted by solid corporate earnings. Shares in Goldman Sachs and Bank of America rose in the premarket after the lenders posted record-setting trading revenues (trading juiced results in the latest quarter at Citi and JPMorgan too). Johnson & Johnson was higher after lifting its full-year forecast.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney says steel originating in China will be subjected to higher tariffs to try and prevent steel dumping amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing global trade war.