Daily brief - 24 Jan 2024

Alaska Air CEO says loose bolts found in many Boeing jets

Alaska Air's CEO, Ben Minicucci, recently shared in an NBC interview that several Boeing 737 Max 9 planes have been found with loose bolts. This discovery came after a panel blew off midair on one of their jets, leading to an emergency landing thankfully without serious injuries. The US safety regulators have grounded all Max 9 planes since January 5th. Minicucci and United Airlines' CEO are both upset with Boeing, demanding better quality control. Boeing apologised and is working on fixing the issue. There's a big focus now on making these planes safe again before they can fly.

Japan bank stocks and bond yields rise on rate hike expectations

In Japan, there's a buzz in the financial markets as everyone expects the Bank of Japan to increase interest rates soon. This would be the first rate hike since 2007. Because of this, Japanese government bond yields have gone up, and bank stocks are doing well as people think higher rates will mean better profits for banks. The Bank of Japan's Governor's recent comments have made investors more sure that negative interest rates will end soon. All this excitement has also helped the Japanese yen get a bit stronger against the dollar. It's a big change after years of low interest rates and slow economic growth in Japan.

Netflix had a brilliant end to 2023 with 13.1 million new users

Netflix has had a brilliant end to 2023, adding a whopping 13.1 million customers in the last three months, their best growth since the pandemic. This surge beat all the estimates, with a big chunk of new viewers coming from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Their success is thanks to new steps like stopping password sharing and offering cheaper plans with adverts. There's cool content too, like a thriller and a documentary about football legend David Beckham. Netflix expects slower growth at the start of 2024 but is still looking at a bright future, including plans to get into live shows and games.