Business

Stellantis and other European automakers fall on yet another US tariff threat

President Trumps latest tariff target has European auto stocks, including Jeep maker Stellantis, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz, hitting the breaks. In a Friday morning Truth Social post, Trump threatened to slap the EU with a fresh 50% tariff as early as June 1.

Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States,” the President wrote.

Trumps potential EU tariffs would be yet another headache for these automakers, which have adjusted their US strategies multiple times through Aprils 25% auto tariff, Mays 25% auto parts tariff, and various other targeted levies, delays, and adjustments. Shares of nearly all major EU car manufacturers were down 3% or more on Friday.

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Tesla Will Open Up Its Chargers To Other Brands, In Order To Receive Federal Subsidies

After a big pullback for EVs, climbing gas prices are causing drivers to eye them again

Still, the market is much different than it was the last time oil prices were this high.

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Rani Molla

How Tesla quietly wound up owning a small piece of SpaceX

Tesla is converting its recent $2 billion investment in Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, into a small ownership stake in SpaceX — just months before the rocket maker’s highly anticipated IPO.

Here’s what happened: Tesla announced its xAI investment in late January, after a shareholder proposal to invest fell short last year. Several days later, xAI merged with SpaceX. All three companies are headed by Musk.

Now, regulatory filings with the Federal Trade Commission show Tesla converting that investment into a small stake in SpaceX, formalizing the financial link between the companies ahead of the rocket maker’s IPO. SpaceX is expected to go public this year at a valuation some speculate could top $1.75 trillion, potentially making it the biggest company to ever go public. (The current record holder, Saudi Aramco, went public at a more than $1.7 trillion valuation in 2020.)

While the size of Tesla’s stake wasn’t available, Bloomberg reports that the investment would equate to ownership of less than 1%.

While SpaceX and Tesla have engaged in related-party transactions over the years, Tesla had not previously disclosed an equity investment in SpaceX.

Now, regulatory filings with the Federal Trade Commission show Tesla converting that investment into a small stake in SpaceX, formalizing the financial link between the companies ahead of the rocket maker’s IPO. SpaceX is expected to go public this year at a valuation some speculate could top $1.75 trillion, potentially making it the biggest company to ever go public. (The current record holder, Saudi Aramco, went public at a more than $1.7 trillion valuation in 2020.)

While the size of Tesla’s stake wasn’t available, Bloomberg reports that the investment would equate to ownership of less than 1%.

While SpaceX and Tesla have engaged in related-party transactions over the years, Tesla had not previously disclosed an equity investment in SpaceX.

Southwest Airlines At San Diego International Airport

Southwest stopped fuel hedging a year ago. Whoops.

It’s been a year since Southwest said it would end its fuel-hedging program. Oil’s moves this year make that decision look like a mistake.

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