LOVE

Friday, April 25th, 2025

World Events — Easing Tariff Between US and China 

Bloomberg

China is considering exemptions from its 125% tariffs on certain U.S. imports, including medical equipment, industrial chemicals like ethane, and aircraft leases, as escalating trade war costs strain critical industries reliant on American goods, mirroring the U.S.'s recent exclusion of electronics like smartphones and computers from its 145% tariffs on Chinese products. The potential exemptions highlight mutual dependencies, with China's plastics manufacturers and hospitals relying on U.S.-sourced ethane and advanced medical devices like GE Healthcare's imaging equipment, while U.S. tech firms such as Apple and Nvidia benefited from similar tariff relief earlier in April. Discussions remain fluid, with authorities soliciting industry input on customs codes for exemptions, though Beijing continues to demand the U.S. revoke all unilateral tariffs before engaging in formal trade talks.

Tech — Intel’s Outlook on the Semiconductor Industry

CNBC

Intel CFO David Zinsner warned that ongoing U.S. tariffs and retaliatory measures from other countries have increased the risk of an economic slowdown and recession, creating significant uncertainty for the company’s outlook. Despite better-than-expected first-quarter results driven partly by customers stockpiling chips ahead of tariffs, Intel’s revenue forecast for the current quarter showed a “wider than normal” range of $11.2 billion to $12.4 billion, reflecting the unpredictable trade environment. Although Intel has diversified its manufacturing across partners in Taiwan, Korea, and Europe, rising costs and supply chain challenges persist. Zinsner also noted that market demand could shrink as consumers and businesses react to higher prices by opting for older, less expensive chips. Additionally, U.S. export restrictions on advanced AI chips to China add further complexity. Intel’s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, plans to cut expenses to improve efficiency amid these economic and trade uncertainties.

Business — Alphabet Releases Upbeat Earning 

CNBC

Alphabet shares surged over 5% in after-hours trading after reporting stronger-than-expected Q1 revenue of $90.23 billion (up 12% year-over-year) and earnings of $2.81 per share, driven by robust growth in its core search advertising business (up 9.8% to $50.7 billion) and AI-powered features like AI Overviews, now used by 1.5 billion monthly users. While YouTube ad revenue slightly missed estimates at $8.93 billion, Google Cloud revenue rose 28% to $12.26 billion, and net income jumped 46% to $34.54 billion, aided by $8 billion in unrealized investment gains. The company announced a $70 billion stock buyback and highlighted progress in autonomous driving unit Waymo, which now provides over 250,000 weekly paid rides, even as its "Other Bets" segment revenue declined 9% to $450 million. CFO Anat Ashkenazi maintained a $75 billion capital expenditure forecast for 2025, while executives cautioned about potential ad revenue headwinds from U.S. tariff policy changes affecting APAC-based e-commerce advertisers like Temu and Shein.

Health — Flowers and Mood

Having flowers in the home or workspace can significantly benefit mental well-being and productivity, with multiple studies and experiments showing that flowers help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and boost happiness by stimulating the release of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin—key chemicals associated with positive emotions and social connection. Engaging in activities like flower arranging fosters creativity and relaxation, with participants in a Bloom & Wild experiment reporting reduced stress, increased focus, and lower heart rates after just 30 minutes of arranging blooms. Specific flowers such as roses, peonies, and sunflowers are particularly uplifting, with roses shown to produce mood-boosting endorphins and induce relaxation. The color of flowers also plays a role, as vibrant hues like red and yellow energize and uplift, while blue and white offer calming effects. Beyond mood, having flowers in the office or home has been linked to greater productivity and innovative thinking, as people feel happier, more motivated, and experience a stronger sense of belonging and serenity when surrounded by nature.

Song Rec — LOVE (Kendrick Lamar)

Quote of the Day 

“She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her... I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her...”― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince