Good evening and welcome to Markets Desk, your close of day read on the stories moving markets and the broader economy.
Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, is pressing for a coordinated slowdown in AI development, but he's acknowledged the central tension in that argument — China. With OpenAI's Sam Altman, Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis, and Elon Musk all backing the proposal, the chorus is notable, though critics argue Anthropic's own competitive position makes the call conveniently self-serving.
Shifting north of the border, Canadian officials are reportedly in early discussions about seeking associate membership status with the European Union. The move signals just how seriously Ottawa is recalibrating its economic alliances in response to the ongoing trade war with Washington — a structural realignment that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.
And in the technology space, all eyes are on Apple as the company prepares to enter the foldable smartphone market. The question for investors is whether Apple's design discipline can do for foldables what it did for tablets — turning a crowded, underwhelming category into a premium growth driver capable of pushing the stock meaningfully higher.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
