The main events by the morning: October 30

• Apple continues to reduce its dependence on China: iPhone exports from India exceeded $6 billion. In six months, shipments of Indian iPhones have increased by 33%, and exports may exceed $10 billion by the end of the year. The company is gradually shifting production from China, where political and economic risks are growing, and there is also a rapid increase in living standards and wages.

• Philip Morris, following Volkswagen, is leaving the German market – the company will close all its factories in Germany. Philip Morris has two remaining tobacco processing and cigarette manufacturing enterprises in the country, which will cease operations by mid-2025. It is planned to leave only a small processing center in Dresden for tobacco used in hand-rolled cigarettes. 

• The price of gold has once again reached a historical record, exceeding $2,800 per ounce. The main growth factors remain active purchases of metal by central banks seeking stability in the face of global economic changes. Fears of a global recession amid protracted conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East also spur interest in gold as a protective asset.

• There is one week left before the US elections, and the election race is still tight: neither Trump nor Harris were able to achieve a significant margin.

• NOVATEK has new difficulties with the Arctic LNG-2 project. The Zvezda shipyard will not have time to transfer the Arc7 tanker, designed for LNG transportation, to the company on time scheduled before the end of the year.