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President Trump says he will talk to Putin on Tuesday about rnding the ar in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump said he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during a late-night flight from Florida to Washington, Trump indicated that negotiations had been ongoing over the weekend.

“I’ll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday. A lot of work’s been done over the weekend,” Trump said.

We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance.”

Trump is pushing for a 30-day ceasefire, a proposal that Ukraine accepted last week. However, fighting has continued, with both sides engaging in heavy aerial strikes over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have made gains near the western Russian region of Kursk, where Ukrainian troops have been holding positions for months.

Addressing potential concessions, Trump stated, “We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants.”

He suggested that discussions between Ukraine and Russia had already covered key points regarding territorial adjustments and control over assets.

Trump’s efforts to stop the war

Trump’s efforts to negotiate a ceasefire come as his administration has taken a different approach to US policy on Russia.

He has previously expressed frustration with Ukraine, describing it as more difficult to work with than Russia.

Last month, a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ended on tense terms, with Zelenskiy departing the White House earlier than scheduled.

Ukraine’s acceptance of the ceasefire proposal has shifted pressure onto Russia, testing whether Trump’s approach to Putin can yield diplomatic results.

The Russian president, who launched the invasion of Ukraine three years ago, has not yet publicly responded to the latest proposal.

This comes after Trump addressed his earlier campaign trail promises to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours.

In an interview for the television program Full Measure last week, he clarified that his statements had been partly sarcastic.

“What I really mean is I’d like to get it settled, and I think I’ll be successful,” Trump said.

As Trump’s administration continues efforts to broker a resolution 54 days into his second term, Tuesday’s call with Putin is expected to be a pivotal moment in determining whether progress can be made toward halting the conflict.

This would mark the second publicly disclosed call between the two leaders since Trump began his second term in January.

Trump and Putin previously spoke in February, during which they agreed to initiate high-level talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

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USD/ZAR forecast: wedge forms ahead of Fed, SARB rate decisions

The USD/ZAR exchange rate retreated on Monday morning as tensions between the US and South Africa rose. It dropped to a low of 18.20, 5.40% below the highest level this year as focus shifts to the upcoming Fed and South Africa interest rate decision. 

US and South Africa tensions

The US and South Africa are in a bitter feud that may have major implications in the future. The root cause of these issues is a lawsuit that South Africa filed in the ICC against Israel.

In January, Donald Trump accused South Africa of discriminating against the white population after a bill on land issues passed. The bill made it legal for the US to take largely unused land and pay a fair price. 

These tensions escalated during the weekend as Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, was not welcome to the United States. He called him a “race-baiting politician who hates America and Trump.”

There is a risk that the US will implement some tariffs or sanctions against South Africa. Such a move would disrupt trade volumes worth over $25.5 billion annually.

Fed and SARB interest rate decision

The next key catalyst for the USD/ZAR exchange rate will be the upcoming Federal Reserve and South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB) interest rate decisions. 

Economists expect that the Fed will leave interest rates unchanged at 4.50%. It will then maintain the view that it will not be in a hurry to cut interest rates until inflation moves towards 2%.

The Fed is concerned that Donald Trump is engineering a self-inflicted recession by implementing tariffs. As a result, the Atlanta FedNow data estimates that the US economy will contract by about 2.4% this month. 

The Fed is also concerned about inflation. While last week’s US inflation report was encouraging, it did not include Trump’s tariffs. Analysts anticipate that inflation will reman high as companies adjust for tariffs.

The USD/ZAR exchange rate will also react to the upcoming South Africa interest rates. Recent data showed that the country’s inflation has risen in the past few months. It jumped to 3.2% in January, the highest point since September last year.

The country’s statistics agency will publish the latest inflation data on March 19, and analysts anticipate the figure to come in at 3.4%. 

USD/ZAR technical analysis

USDZAR chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the USD to ZAR exchange rate has come under pressure in the past few months. It dropped from a high of 19.218 in February to the current 18.20. This decline happened as tensions between the US and South Africa rose. 

The pair has formed a falling wedge chart pattern, which is characterized by two falling and converging trendlines. These two lines are now nearing their confluence levels. 

The USD/ZAR pair has formed a bullish pennant pattern too. Therefore, there is a likelihood that it will bounce back and possibly hit the key resistance level at 19.21, its highest level this year, which is about 5.6% from the current level.

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USD/JPY forecast: signal ahead of FOMC and BoJ decisions

The USD/JPY exchange rate tilted upwards on Monday morning as investors focused on the upcoming Federal Reserve (FOMC) and Bank of Japan (BoJ) interest rate decisions. It rose to a high of 148.75, up from this month’s low of 146.56.

Bank of Japan interest rate decision

The BoJ will be one of the top central banks to watch this week as it delivered its monetary policy decision on Wednesday.

This will be a crucial meeting since the bank has signaled that it will maintain a hawkish tone as its battle against inflation intensifies. 

Data released in February showed that the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose from 3.6% in December to 4.0% in January. It has been on a gradual increase after bottoming at 2.3% a few months ago. 

Economists expect this week’s data to show that Japan’s inflation rose modestly in February.

Japan’s inflation has risen because of the low unemployment rate that has led to higher wages in the country. 

The base case is where the BoJ will leave interest rates unchanged this week as officials observe the implications of Donald Trump’s trade war. Trump has threatened to implement reciprocal tariffs, which may hurt Japan’s economy. 

Fed decision ahead

The next catalyst for the USD/JPY pair will be the upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decision scheduled on Wednesday. 

Like with the BoJ, economists expect the central bank to leave rates unchanged at 4.5%. It will then hint that it will deliver more interest rate cuts later this year.

The Fed’s biggest concern is that the US inflation has remained at an elevated level for longer than expected. 

Data released last week showed that US inflation dropped from 3.0% in January to 2.8% in February. Core inflation fell from 3.3% to 3.1% during the month. 

These inflation numbers, while encouraging, don’t tell the full story about inflation since they did not include Trump’s tariffs. 

Therefore, the Fed will leave rates unchanged as it continues to observe the implications of these tariffs on the US economy. 

There will be other top US macro data to watch this week, but their implications on the Fed will be muted. 

USD/JPY technical analysis

USDJPY chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the USD/JPY exchange rate has risen in the past few days. It rose from a low of 146.57 this month to the current 148.91. 

The pair remains slightly above the ascending trendline that connects the lowest swings since September last year.

It has now crossed the crucial resistance level at 148.67, the lowest swing in December last year. 

The USD/JPY pair’s 50-day and 100-day moving averages have formed a bearish crossover. Also, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Percentage Price Oscillator (PPO) have pointed upwards. 

Therefore, the USD to JPY will likely resume the downward trend as traders target the next key support at 145. A move above the resistance at 150 will invalidate the bearish USD/JPY forecast.

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USD/CHF analysis: forms bearish pattern ahead of SNB, FOMC

The USD/CHF exchange rate moved sideways on Monday morning as focus among investors shifted from the upcoming Swiss National Bank (SNB) and Federal Reserve interest rates decisions. It rose to a high of 0.8845, a few points above this month’s low of 0.8757.

Swiss National Bank rate decision

The USD to CHF exchange rate wavered on Monday morning ahead of the upcoming SNB decision. 

Economists polled by Reuters expect the bank to deliver another interest rate cut this week as concerns about the Swiss franc’s strength continue. 

The Swiss franc has risen by almost 4% from its lowest point this year against the US dollar. It has, however, softened a bit against the euro, with the EUR/CHF pair rising to a high of 0.9500, its highest level since July last year. 

The SNB will also cut rates because Swiss inflation has continued falling in the past few months. Data from the statistics agency showed that the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) dropped to 0.3% in February from 0.6% a month earlier. 

The Swiss CPI has been in a downward trend after peaking at 3.5% in 2022. There are also signs that the country’s inflation will drop below zero in the next few months. 

Read more: USD/CHF forecast: Here’s why the Swiss franc is surging

As such, the SNB hopes that these rate cuts will help to incentivize spending in the country and lift prices higher. 

Odds of the SNB cut are evident in the Swiss government bonds. Data shows that the ten-year yield of Swiss government bonds dropped to 0.677% down from this month’s high of 0.90%. The five-year yield dropped to 0.56% from the YTD high of 0.637%.

Federal Reserve interest rate decision

The USD/CHF exchange rate will also react to the upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decision. 

Economists expect the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged at 4.50% for the second consecutive meeting. 

In its last meeting, the bank signaled that it would deliver just two interest rates this year. 

That meeting, however, happened before Donald Trump restarted his trade war. Since that meeting, Trump has gone to a serious trade conflict with countries like Mexico, Canada, and China. Trump has also hinted that he will implement reciprocal tariffs in April. 

These tariffs will likely lead to a slow US economy, with the FedNow data showing that the economy will contract by 2.4% in this first quarter. 

US bond yields have also dropped in the past few months. The 10-year yield dropped from the year-to-date high of 4.80% to 4.30%. Similarly, the 30-year yield has moved from 5% to 4.61%.

The US and Swiss bond yields mean that investors are borrowing the cheap franc and investing in the US. 

USD/CHF technical analysis

USDCHF chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the USD to CHF exchange rate has retreated in the past few months. It has dropped from a high of 0.9200 this year to the current 0.8845. 

The pair has dropped to the 50% Fibonacci Retracement level. It has also formed a bearish flag chart and a rising wedge. 

The USD/CHF pair is about to form a mini death cross as the 50-day and 100-day moving averages cross each other. 

Therefore, the path of the least resistance for the pair is bearish, with the next point to watch being at 0.8762. A break below that level will point to further downside, potentially to the 61.8% retracement at 0.8590. 

The post USD/CHF analysis: forms bearish pattern ahead of SNB, FOMC appeared first on Invezz

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Micron stock price forecast: will it rise or fall after earnings?

Micron stock price has been boring since July last year. MU has remained between the key support and resistance levels at $114.40 and $84.58, respectively. It remains about 35% below the highest level in 2024. So, what is the MU stock price forecast ahead of its quarterly earnings?

Micron stock price waits for earnings

Micron Technology and other semiconductor companies have done well in the past few years, helped by increased corporate spending because of AI. Its annual revenue jumped from $15 billion in 2022 to over $25 billion in the last financial year. The trailing twelve months (TTM) revenue jumped to over $29 billion.

The last quarterly results showed that Micron’s revenue surged to $8.7 billion in Q3, a big increase from the $4.73 billion it shipped in the same quarter a year earlier. This revenue growth happened because of its strong data center business whose revenue moved to 50% of its total figure for the first time. 

Micron became more profitable as the net loss jumped to over $1.87 billion during the quarter. 

On the positive side, the company will likely continue doing well this year as companies like Microsoft, xAI, and Amazon are keen on accelerating their AI spending. Estimates are that the top companies will spend over $320 billion this year. 

The challenge, however, is that there are signs that the AI bubble may be starting to burst. This explains why many AI stocks like NVIDIA, AMD, SoundHound, and C3.ai have crashed this year. 

Further, there are concerns that the ongoing trade war between the US and China will impact Micron’s results. Historically, Micron generated about 25% of its sales from Chinese companies. This has changed after the company was forced to end some of its trading relationships with Chinese companies.

Analysts see more MU earnings growth

Wall Street analysts expect the upcoming results to show that Micron’s business continued doing well in the last quarter. 

The average estimate is that Micron’s revenue rose by 36% in the second quarter of financial year 2025 to $7.92 billion. 

They also see the forward guidance for the next quarter being 21.73% to $8.29 billion. For the year, Micron’s revenue is expected to be almost $35 billion, up by almost 40% to $35 billion. This growth will slow to 28% to $44.7 billion. 

A potential catalyst for the Micron stock price is that the consumer business, which has weakened in the past few years may start to grow again this year. Reports by companies like IDC and Gartner estimate that the PC industry will see a modest single-digit growth trajectory this year. 

The other catalyst is that Micron has become an undervalued company, considering that its business is still growing. It has a non-GAAP forward P/E ratio of 14.7, much lower than the sector median of 21. The forward GAAP multiple of 16.4 is lower than the median of 26.

Micron stock price analysis

MU stock chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the MU share price has remained in a tight range in the past few months. It has remained between the support and resistance levels at $85 and $114.4 since July last year. 

Micron stock is consolidating at the 50-day and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA). The two lines of the MACD indicators have pointed upwards. 

Therefore, the Micron stock price will likely move in either direction after its earnings. The key levels to watch will be at $85 and $115. The odds are high that the latter will prevail because the average Micron stock price forecast is $129. 

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Hang Seng, Nikkei 225 lead Asian markets higher on Monday

Asian stock markets traded mostly higher on Monday, taking cues from Wall Street’s positive finish on Friday and reacting favorably to China’s new stimulus measures aimed at reviving consumption and supporting the stock and real estate markets.

However, concerns over the impact of President Donald Trump’s trade policies continued to weigh on investor sentiment.

The markets will be closely watching the US Fed’s decision scheduled for later this week.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 surges past 37,500

Japanese stocks posted sharp gains, with the Nikkei 225 Index rising 422.14 points, or 1.14%, to close the morning session at 37,475.24.

The index briefly touched a high of 37,561.21 as index heavyweights, exporters, and technology stocks led the advance.

SoftBank Group gained more than 2%, while Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing added almost 1%.

Among automakers, Honda and Toyota both advanced more than 1%, supported by a weaker yen and expectations of strong global demand.

Hong Kong, and China Stocks surge

Hong Kong stocks climbed to a one-week high, supported by better-than-expected economic data from China.

Optimism surrounding Beijing’s newly announced “Special Action Plan to Boost Consumption,” designed to stimulate domestic demand, also fueled the rally.

Additionally, state media outlet Xinhua reported that Beijing intends to stabilize the stock and real estate markets while implementing measures to boost the birth rate.

The Hang Seng Index rose 1.5% to 24,300.85, while the Hang Seng Tech Index edged up 0.1%.

On the mainland, performance was mixed. The CSI 300 Index dipped 0.1%, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.3%, reflecting cautious optimism as investors assessed China’s economic trajectory.

China’s latest economic data showed retail sales increased by 4% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period last year, exceeding Bloomberg’s estimate of a 3.8% rise.

Industrial production expanded by 5.9%, surpassing expectations of 5.3%, while fixed-asset investment grew 4.1%, beating projections of 3.2%.

Other Asian markets on Monday

The Australian stock market saw notable gains, extending its positive momentum from the previous session.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 49.90 points, or 0.64%, to 7,839.60 after touching a high of 7,858.50 earlier in the session.

The broader All Ordinaries Index climbed 57.20 points, or 0.71%, to 8,070.50.

The benchmark KOSPI jumped 1.5% to 2,607.41 points on Monday, reaching its highest level in over two weeks as it tracked Wall Street’s gains from last week amid improved market sentiment.

Tech heavyweights led the rally, with Samsung Electronics surging 4.4% and SK Hynix adding 1.2%.

Wall Street on Friday

Stocks staged a strong comeback on Friday after Thursday’s sharp sell-off, with all major indexes posting substantial gains.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the rally, surging 451.07 points, or 2.6%, to close at 17,754.09.

The S&P 500 jumped 117.42 points, or 2.1%, to 5,638.94, while the Dow climbed 674.62 points, or 1.7%, to 41,488.19.

Despite Friday’s rebound, all three major indexes ended the week in the red.

The Dow dropped 3.1% for the week, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 posted losses of 2.4% and 2.3%, respectively.

The rally was driven by bargain hunting, as traders looked to scoop up stocks at lower valuations after Thursday’s sell-off pushed the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to their lowest closing levels in six months.

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Forever 21 files for bankruptcy in the US: what went wrong?

Forever 21’s US operating company, F21 OpCo, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in six years, citing declining mall traffic and mounting competition from online retailers.

While F21 OpCo operates Forever 21’s US locations and holds the brand’s license in the country, its international stores remain unaffected as they are operated by independent licensees.

The filing, made in the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on Sunday, signals a likely liquidation of its US operations, as the company has been unable to find a buyer for its approximately 350 domestic stores.

The company announced that it will conduct liquidation sales at its physical stores while also engaging in a court-supervised sale and marketing process for some or all of its assets.

What bankrupted Forever 21 in the US?

Chief Financial Officer Brad Sell pointed to intense competition from foreign fast-fashion companies that have leveraged the de minimis exemption—allowing duty-free imports of lower-cost clothing—to undercut Forever 21’s pricing and margins.

He also cited rising costs and broader economic challenges that have impacted consumer demand.

Forever 21 previously filed for Chapter 11 in 2019 before being acquired out of bankruptcy by Sparc, a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group (ABG), Simon Property Group, and Brookfield Asset Management.

However, despite efforts to revive the brand, the shift in consumer shopping habits away from malls and toward online fast fashion has continued to pressure the business.

Forever 21’s estimated assets are listed between $100 million and $500 million, while its liabilities fall between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to its bankruptcy filing.

The company also reported having between 10,001 and 25,000 creditors.

Forever 21’s future

If a successful sale of assets occurs, Forever 21 may reconsider a complete wind-down of its operations in favor of a going-concern transaction.

For now, the company has assured that its US stores and website will remain operational while liquidation and sale proceedings take place.

The filing comes just weeks after Forever 21’s parent company, Sparc Group, merged with JCPenney to form Catalyst Brands.

At the time of the merger, Catalyst Brands had indicated that it was “exploring strategic options” for Forever 21, but no clear turnaround path emerged.

Although F21 OpCo is headed for liquidation, the Forever 21 brand itself could survive in some form.

Authentic Brands, which retains ownership of the trademark and intellectual property, may look to license the name to other retailers.

However, ABG CEO Jamie Salter previously expressed regret over acquiring Forever 21, calling it “the biggest mistake I made.”

Founded in Los Angeles in 1984 by South Korean immigrants, Forever 21 was once a dominant player in the fast-fashion industry, catering to young shoppers seeking trendy and affordable clothing.

At its peak in 2016, the company operated around 800 stores worldwide, including 500 in the US.

However, changing retail dynamics and increasing competition from online players have eroded its market position, ultimately leading to its second bankruptcy in less than a decade.

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LATAM crypto: fraud risks rise in Mexico while Argentina bets on lithium tokens

LATAM’s cryptocurrency landscape continues to grow.

This week’s highlights come from Mexico, where Sumub (a digital assets security platform) published a report detailing the cases of digital asset fraud and how they affect users.

Sumsub’s “2024 Identity Fraud Report” reported a 1.6% rate of bitcoin fraud in Mexico.

This digital asset security platform offers a thorough breakdown of data on identity fraud trends and prevention, emphasizing the growing complexity of fraud schemes as they become more common in the market.

According to Cointelegraph, the survey highlights a worrying reality for users, as the number of bitcoin investors grows.

In an interview with local media outlet Milenio, Sumsub’s expansion director, Daniel Mazzuccheli, stated that there are already over 3 million digital asset users in Mexico, a figure that is rapidly growing.

With this expansion comes increased risk, as criminal organizations become more adept in their tactics.

Mazzuccheli added, “As the number of users grows, so does the sophistication of scammers”.

With technological advancements, new opportunities to commit fraud are emerging, notably in Mexico, where more than 3 million people possess cryptocurrencies.

According to the research, identity fraud is the most common type of fraud worldwide, with an increase of 137%.

Sumsub stated that current technology has simplified the execution of fraudulent actions by reducing the requirement for specialized knowledge or technical expertise.

This progress has made fraud cheaper to carry out, and numerous “fraud-as-a-service” companies give tools and methods to inexperienced scammers, making fraudulent acts more accessible and ubiquitous than ever before.

Argentina’s lithium tokenization initiative

In Argentina, mining company Atómico 3 S.A. has embarked on an ambitious venture to tokenize reserves of lithium located within the Salares de Mogna.

According to a statement released by founder Pablo Rutigliano, the tokenization process will provide greater transparency into mining operations within the province of San Juan.

For decades, San Juan has played a prominent role in metal extraction throughout the country, and the push into lithium mining serves to further diversify its natural resources portfolio.

Through the innovative application of blockchain technology, Rutigliano hopes tokenized assets will grant unprecedented oversight into Argentina’s lithium industry from extraction to distribution.

With improved visibility on a global scale, Argentinian lithium producers aim to strengthen their position as suppliers to the new green economy.

Atómico 3 has moved fast in establishing its domination in the region, signing preliminary agreements to govern more than 50,000 hectares over the next half-decade.

The opening stage will scrutinize a sizable slice of 10,000 hectares while ongoing geological analysis remains relentless.

Situated around 100 kilometres from the provincial capital in the arid Angaco Department, the remote Salar de Mogna’s parched climate and meagre yearly rainfall make it a prime location for lithium extraction, giving Argentina a strategic stronghold.

With its tokenization, lithium has the chance to reinvent how the nation leverages its natural assets, catapulting it to the forefront of the industry and powering progress towards a sustainable future reliant on clean energy.

Bolivia’s YPFB adopts cryptocurrency for energy imports

Bolivia is facing a serious economic issue as the country has a severe lack of dollars and gasoline, forcing the state energy agency YPFB to use cryptocurrencies for energy imports.

According to Reuters, a YPFB official acknowledged that the decision comes as Bolivia’s foreign currency reserves plummet due to years of low natural gas exports.

The country is dealing with a rising gasoline issue, as evidenced by regular long lineups at petrol stations and growing public discontent expressed through rallies.

The country that was previously known for its abundance of natural gas has since experienced a downward spiral.

As domestic output has decreased, the country has transitioned from being a net energy exporter to a net energy importer.

The decrease is due to a lack of geopolitical sources of supply, underspending on exploration, and a lack of large new gas finds.

Depleting reserves have raised alarms about a long-term energy shortage, which could fuel more civil unrest amid growing hardship from scarce fuel supplies and an even more difficult economic backdrop.

With these current challenges, the government has approved digital asset consumption as a means of a broader energy import stabilization mechanism.

YPFB, Bolivia’s state-run energy provider, plans to use cryptocurrencies to supplement the country’s declining dollar reserves.

YPFB’s spokesperson added that: “From now on, these (cryptocurrency) transactions will be carried out,” stressing they need to find alternative financing methods because there is a shortage of hard currency.

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Spirit Airlines vs Southwest: why 2025 could shake up the skies

Spirit Airlines chief executive Ted Christie says the company is positioned to steal share from its larger rival, Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE: LUV), in 2025.

Southwest will start charging its customers for checked bags from May, a significant change in strategy that may hurt the air carrier in the beginning – and Spirit plans on “taking advantage of that,” said Christie in an interview this week.

CEO Ted Christie’s remarks arrive only hours after Spirit Airlines emerged from bankruptcy.

The ultra-low-cost airline is much leaner and all set to take on its rivals now, he added.  

Why customers may switch from LUV to Spirit Airlines

It’s the first time for Southwest Airlines Co to consider charging for checked bags.

The largest domestic US carrier has offered two free checked bags to all customers since its inception in 1966.

In fact, the time-tested perk has historically helped LUV navigate higher fuel prices and recessions.

But now that it’s changing the free checked bags policy and introducing basic economy class for the first time, chances are that some of its customers will switch to Spirit Airlines, as per Christie. 

However, the Dallas headquartered firm touted its policy change as means for driving revenue growth in a press release on March 11th.

The narrative has sat well with investors considering Southwest stock is up some 15% since the announcement.

Spirit Airlines to focus on returning to profitability

While the ultra-low-cost air carrier is significantly smaller in operations than Southwest Airlines, it still competes with LUV in several cities, including Kansas, Nashville, and Milwaukee.

For those travelling to or from these cities, booking with Spirit on Expedia may be significantly cheaper than booking with Southwest at present, according to the company’s chief executive.

CEO Ted Christie also confirmed in the CNBC interview that Spirit Airlines, after emerging from bankruptcy, is laser focused on returning to profitability.

The company’s loss more than doubled to $1.2 billion last year on Pratt & Whitney engine recall, increased competition, higher costs, and failure to merge with JetBlue Airways.

How restructuring helped Spirit Airlines in 2025

Earlier this week, Spirit Airlines chief executive Ted Christie signalled the possibility of a merger to become the fifth-largest US carrier remained on the table.

But the company wants to stabilise itself first after exiting bankruptcy on March 12th, he added.

The restructuring helped Spirit lower its debt by a remarkable $795 million.

It brought the airline about $350 million in fresh capital as well.

Spirit Airlines is fully committed to going live again on a stock exchange, but is yet to disclose a specific timeline for that. CEO Christie’s remarks arrive only weeks after Spirit rejected a more than $2.0 billion buyout proposal from peer Frontier Group.

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Is Bitcoin Pepe a buy despite recent BTC decline?

Bitcoin may have been painful for its investors this year, having lost about 20% in less than two months. But the pullback has utterly failed to faze long-term bulls like Anthony Scaramucci.

Scaramucci dismissed recent weakness in BTC as temporary in a CNBC interview this week, adding the asset will resume its upward trajectory over the next three to six months.

The founder of Skybridge Capital cited several catalysts that could help Bitcoin price rally again through the remainder of this year.

That bodes good news for crypto investors more broadly since whatever happens with BTC tends to reflect in the crypto market at large, which now includes a new contender, Bitcoin Pepe.

How is Bitcoin Pepe related to the price of BTC

Positive developments around the price of Bitcoin may prove to be an even bigger tailwind for the Bitcoin Pepe meme coin as it touts itself as one of the closest relative of BTC.

Bitcoin Pepe is the “world’s only Bitcoin meme ICO” as per its website, which means it stands to benefit rather meaningfully as institutional buyers continue to flock to the world’s largest crypto by market cap as Scaramucci projected in the CNBC interview.

The narrative seems to be sitting quite well with the Bitcoin Pepe community considering it the meme coin presale has raised close to $4.9 million within a matter of weeks.

Following the presale, Bitcoin Pepe plans on listing on a crypto exchange to make it even easier for interested investors to build a position in it, which may help drive the price of the meme coin further up in 2025.

Other macro tailwinds that could help Bitcoin Pepe

Anthony Scaramucci continues to see Bitcoin as a “very valuable long-term asset” given the US government’s plans of a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

“The fact that the United States is going to hold this asset means that other countries are going to end up buying this asset as well,” he added.

This will unlock significant further demand for Bitcoin that will drive the price of the digital assets up. But, more importantly, it will help add a layer of legitimacy to the crypto market overall that may significantly benefit the likes of Bitcoin Pepe.

The meme coin is currently going for $0.0281 only, which means it doesn’t require a massive sum of capital to build a sizable early position in it either.

All in all, the Trump administration is committed to bringing cryptocurrencies to mainstream finance that could continue to drive global investors to digital assets, including Bitcoin Pepe.

If you’re interested in learning more about this up-and-coming meme coin, click here to visit its website now.

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