2026-02-10 12:12

RABAT, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Marsa Maroc, Morocco's leading port operator, said on Tuesday it had signed a deal with Liberia's ports authority to manage the port of Monrovia from the first half of 2026. Under the deal, which is part of Marsa Maroc's African expansion plan, Marsa Maroc International Logistics (MMIL) will carry out rehabilitation works, deploy port equipment and provide expertise in bulk handling to operate two jetties. Sign up here. In a second phase, Marsa Maroc said it was targeting a concession agreement for the development and operation of a new multipurpose terminal at the port of Monrovia, which would handle the majority of trade flows in Liberia. Marsa Maroc manages 34 terminals across 20 ports, handling more than 60 million metric tons of cargo annually. Liberia would become the third location in Africa for Marsa Maroc, which has become the latest Moroccan company to roll out investment in the continent, following the lead of Moroccan banks, fertilizer producer OCP and mining company Managem. Last year, Casablanca-listed Marsa Maroc announced plans to expand into West and East Africa, including two terminals at Cotonou port in Benin and an oil and gas terminal in Djibouti. In December, Marsa Maroc acquired a 45% stake in Spain's Boluda Maritime Terminals (BMT), a branch of Boluda Corporacion Maritima, for 80 million euros ($94 million). https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/moroccos-marsa-maroc-run-liberias-main-port-african-expansion-2026-02-10/

2026-02-10 12:02

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Utility firm Duke Energy (DUK.N) , opens new tab forecast a higher current-year profit on Tuesday on the back of strong power demand. The rapid buildout of AI data centers and accelerating power consumption across homes and businesses were set to drive U.S. demand to record highs in 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. Sign up here. The utility firm was also considering adding large nuclear reactors to its fleet and extending the life of some coal plants as part of a long-term energy plan aimed at meeting sharply rising electricity demand in the Carolinas. "With the largest regulated capital plan in the industry, a balance sheet prepared for growth, and contracted demand from AI and advanced manufacturing, we are well-positioned to deliver 5% to 7% EPS growth through 2030," CEO Harry Sideris said in a statement. Duke Energy now expects an adjusted profit of $6.55 to $6.80 per share for 2026, compared with $6.31 last year. However, the midpoint of the forecast fell below Wall Street expectations of $6.70 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company also posted an adjusted profit of $1.50 per share for the three months ended December 31, beating estimates by 1 cent per share. Its electric utilities and infrastructure segment reported a profit of $1.21 billion for the quarter, flat from a year earlier, while profit in its gas utilities and infrastructure segment rose about 22% to $230 million. Duke Energy's electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/duke-energy-forecasts-higher-2026-profit-strong-power-demand-2026-02-10/

2026-02-10 11:55

Regulator also requests HTX apps removed from UK app stores HTX issued "illegal crypto promotions" despite warnings FCA cites HTX's opaque structure, lack of cooperation LONDON, Feb 10 - Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday it had asked social media companies and app stores to block access to crypto exchange HTX in the UK, stepping up efforts to prevent the group from promoting "illegal" crypto asset services. The regulator, which filed a London High Court lawsuit against HTX last October, said it wanted Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) , opens new tab and Apple (AAPL.O) , opens new tab to remove HTX products from UK app stores and HTX's social media accounts for UK-based consumers blocked. Sign up here. Regulators and authorities around the world have for years warned that nascent crypto markets - which are generally less regulated than mainstream financial markets - present risks to investors. The FCA enforcement action is its first against a crypto firm illegally marketing its products to UK consumers. HTX, formerly known as Huobi, did not respond to a request for comment. HTX CONDUCT IN 'STARK CONTRAST' TO OTHER FIRMS, FCA SAYS Under UK rules, crypto companies that wish to attract British customers have to register with the FCA and submit to anti-money laundering and financial crime checks. But HTX and Huobi are named on an FCA list of unauthorised companies designed to warn consumers against dealing with them. The company had repeatedly advertised illegal crypto promotions to British consumers on social media platforms such as TikTok, X, Facebook (META.O) , opens new tab, Instagram and YouTube, the regulator said. Examples cited by the FCA include a page of HTX's website with tutorials on how to trade on the HTX Exchange, saying "buy Bitcoin in a minute" and "learn spot trading in seconds". The FCA also cited a description of crypto loans on HTX's website accompanied by a flame emoji and the phrases "borrow and repay any time for flexible trading" and "borrow to scale up your trades and profits". "HTX's conduct stands in stark contrast to the majority of firms working to comply with the FCA's regime," said Steve Smart, the FCA's joint head of enforcement and market oversight. The regulator said HTX had taken steps to prevent new UK customers from registering accounts, but that existing UK users could still access unlawful financial promotions. The FCA said HTX, which had an "opaque organisational structure", had ignored repeated regulatory attempts to engage. Its lawsuit is filed against Panama-incorporated Huobi Global and "persons unknown". Nick Barnard, a partner at law firm Corker Binning, said the case illustrated the "near impossibility" of regulating the crypto asset industry from one jurisdiction, given FCA was unable to take direct action in the absence of any physical HTX presence in the UK. "However, the FCA has likely decided that it must at least be seen to be taking a stand against those who blatantly flout the rules," he said. HTX was founded in 2013 and names Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun as a global adviser. Sun was not named in the lawsuit. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/uk-regulator-sues-crypto-exchange-htx-over-illegal-promotions-2026-02-10/

2026-02-10 11:53

Central bank aims to address industrial overcapacity and weak consumption Guidance for financial institutions to support domestic demand Focus on stable growth and reasonable price recovery in monetary policy BEIJING, Feb 10 (Reuters) - China's central bank said on Tuesday it will step up financial support to boost domestic demand, as industrial overcapacity and lacklustre consumption weigh on business confidence and dampen the outlook for growth. The economy is stable but faces challenges such as “supply being strong while demand being weak", the People's Bank of China said in its fourth-quarter monetary policy implementation report. Sign up here. Chinese policymakers have repeatedly pledged to boost domestic consumption to tackle the imbalance between supply and demand. Growth in China's retail sales, a gauge for consumption, lagged behind overall GDP expansion in 2025 and the country's export-driven growth faces uncertainties in a volatile geopolitical environment. The central bank said it would guide financial institutions to strengthen support for domestic demand, and guide private capital to participate in expanding consumption and investment to jointly stabilise growth. It also pledged to direct more financial resources to support expanding services consumption. Driving stable economic growth and a reasonable recovery in prices should be important considerations in monetary policy, the central bank said, vowing to carefully manage the strength, pace and timing of policy implementation. The central bank also said it would lower banks' liability costs, increase support for technological innovation and routinely carry out treasury bond trading to manage liquidity. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinas-central-bank-promises-financial-support-boost-domestic-demand-2026-02-10/

2026-02-10 11:43

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Indian jeweller and watchmaker Titan (TITN.NS) , opens new tab reported a 61% jump in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, buoyed by higher average selling prices for gold jewellery and strong demand during the festive season. Titan, known for its Tanishq and CaratLane jewellery brands, said profit rose to 16.84 billion rupees ($186.04 million) for the quarter ended December 31, from 10.47 billion rupees a year ago. Sign up here. India's festive season usually runs from October to December and is considered an auspicious time for big-ticket purchases such as jewellery. Spot gold prices rose nearly 12% during the quarter, closing a calendar year in which the precious metal clocked its steepest rise since 1979, driven by geopolitical uncertainties, rate cuts and robust central bank buying. Titan's mainstay jewellery business, which accounts for over 90% of its revenue, grew 41% year-on-year during the quarter, the company said in a business update in January. That helped total revenue from the sale of products rise nearly 42% to 249.15 billion rupees. The company's net profit margin improved to 6.63% from 5.9% a year earlier. Revenue from Titan's watches business, its second-largest division, grew 14%, aided by sustained demand for premium timepieces. "The festive period spurred broad-based consumer interest across our portfolios, underscoring resilience in premium and accessible segments alike," Managing Director Ajoy Chawla said in a statement. Shares of the company closed nearly 1% higher ahead of the results. ($1 = 90.5180 Indian rupees) https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-titan-posts-quarterly-profit-jump-high-gold-prices-2026-02-10/

2026-02-10 11:39

LONDON, Feb 10 ((Reuters)) - Commodity price reporting agency Argus Media has launched price assessments for Venezuelan crude grades delivered to the U.S. Gulf Coast, the company said at its oil market forum in London on Tuesday. The launch of pricing assessments comes just over a month after the U.S. captured , opens new tab former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and set about taking over the sanctioned South American nation's beleaguered oil industry to increase production and return exports to the mainstream market. Sign up here. The firm will assess three grades of Venezuelan crude oil, Merey, Hamaca and Boscan, for delivery to the U.S. Gulf coast, which Argus said is now the most likely destination for Venezuelan cargoes. "What people want to see is some kind of price reference," Gus Vasquez, editorial manager for crude oil, said at the forum, in reference to the recent rapid changes in the Venezuelan oil industry. Reuters competes with Argus on the provision of news and data concerning commodity markets. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/argus-media-launches-venezuelan-crude-price-assessments-2026-02-10/