JD.com has posted its fastest revenue growth since 2022, buoyed by renewed consumer stimulus in China and a high-stakes push into food delivery, a sector long dominated by Meituan. The e-commerce heavyweight reported a 16% rise in quarterly sales to 301.1 billion yuan ($42 billion), driven by higher consumer activity and strategic expansion.  However, behind the upbeat numbers lies a growing debate about the long-term cost of JD’s aggressive moves, particularly as losses in new ventures more than doubled. A financial strategist from Horizon28, Sam Edmund Albert, sheds light on the deeper implications of this growth spurt—what it means for...

Wall Street was caught off guard this week by a series of abrupt moves from UnitedHealth Group, including a leadership reshuffle and the withdrawal of its 2025 financial guidance, just weeks after the company signaled efforts to recalibrate elevated costs. The immediate reaction was sharp—shares plunged 18% on Tuesday, prompting downgrades and widespread uncertainty about the company’s near-term trajectory.  The move has reignited concerns about structural pressures within Medicare Advantage and the broader healthcare insurance sector. A financial strategist from Horizon28, Emma Rives, explores the deeper implications of UnitedHealth’s recent decisions, the market’s anxious response, and what the road ahead...

In a move that could reshape its industrial strategy and signal a broader pivot toward infrastructure technology, Samsung Electronics is nearing a deal to acquire Germany-based FläktGroup Holding GmbH for upwards of $1.5 billion, potentially reaching $2 billion. This would mark Samsung’s largest overseas acquisition since 2017, and a decisive return to mergers and acquisitions after a quiet period.  Beyond financial headlines, the deal is rooted in a deeper ambition—to capture a larger share of the fast-expanding HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) market, increasingly crucial in the AI era. Michael Hunter, a senior financial strategist at Horizon28, explores how...

As U.S. inflation shows signs of cooling and monetary policy expectations begin to shift, gold is once again capturing the attention of investors and retailers alike. Recent soft inflation data, paired with a weakening U.S. dollar and growing anticipation of rate cuts, has reignited interest in precious metals as a defensive hedge.  Meanwhile, consumer demand for physical gold has skyrocketed to the point that even large-scale retailers are placing purchase limits. This intersection of macroeconomic signals and grassroots demand paints a fascinating portrait of the current financial environment—one that a senior commodities expert from Horizon28, Kevin Lyon, now unpacks in...