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Romania’s central election authority has banned Calin Georgescu, a populist candidate and frontrunner, from running in May’s presidential election re-run.

‘Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!’ Georgescu said in a post on X, following the decision. ‘I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall!’

Trump’s administration has taken an interest in Romania’s presidential election since it was canceled in May because of Russian collusion allegations in Georgescu’s favor.

SpaceX CEO and DOGE leader Elon Musk chimed in and shared his reaction to the decision.

‘This is crazy,’ Musk wrote on X.

Kari Lake, Trump administration senior advisor for the US agency for global media, also reacted and compared what is happening in Romania to what ‘they tried with Trump here in America.’

‘Do you love your country & want to put it first?’ Lake posted on X. ‘Then, the Globalists want you removed from the ballot & silenced. They tried it with Trump here in America. They did it to Bolsanaro in Brazil. Now, they’re doing it to Georgescu in Romania. The people should dictate their country’s future. Not the international order & their captured court.’

Georgescu, who won the first round of Romania’s canceled presidential election last year, was taken into custody for questioning by the country’s top prosecutors back in February.

Romania’s Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the election two days ahead of the Dec. 8 runoff after Georgescu’s first-round win. He had polled in single digits and declared zero campaign spending, according to The Associated Press. Allegations of Russian interference and electoral violations quickly emerged. After the election cancelation, prosecutors launched an investigation into alleged campaign funding fraud, as well as alleged antisemitism and hate speech.

The Trump administration has criticized Romania for canceling last year’s presidential election, with Vice President JD Vance alleging that the court’s ruling was based on ‘flimsy suspicions’ and ‘enormous pressure’ from Romania’s neighbors.

Vance said in December, ‘Romania straight up canceled the results of a presidential election based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors.’

He also warned European leaders that they cannot win a ‘democratic mandate’ by ‘censoring your opponents or putting them in jail,’ nor by ‘disregarding your basic electorate on questions like who gets to be a part of our shared society.’

‘To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old, entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don’t like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election,’ Vance said.

Georgescu, a staunch critic of NATO and Western support for Ukraine, has sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes, according to The AP.

He has also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as ‘a man who loves his country,’ and has called Ukraine ‘an invented state.’

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

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Politics

HHS employees offered $25K as ‘incentive to voluntarily separate’

Health and Human Services Department (HHS) employees have been offered up to $25,000 to part ways with the agency in order to help it downsize under President Donald Trump’s plans to shrink the federal workforce.

In the email sent on Friday, the HHS, which is led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said it has received authorization from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments.

The OPM ‘allows agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate,’ according to the email. This incentive is aimed at those who are in surplus positions or have skills that are no longer needed within their department.

The payment is available to most employees within the HHS, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Employees also have the option to take the payment if they are eligible for optional or early retirement, according to the OPM’s website.

‘By allowing employees to volunteer to leave the Government, agencies can minimize or avoid involuntary separations through the use of costly and disruptive reductions in force,’ the website stated.

There are around 80,000 people currently working for the HHS in some capacity, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The offer becomes available on Monday and forms must be submitted to local HR offices by Friday at 5 p.m.

The HHS is the second-costliest federal agency and accounts for 20.6% of America’s budget for Fiscal Year 2025 with $2.4 trillion in budgetary resources, according to USASpending.gov. Most of that money is spent by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

The only agency with more spending power is the Department of the Treasury.

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Politics

Lithuanian defense minister: Only way to negotiate with Russia is with a ‘gun on the table’

Growing up under Soviet rule, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė was not allowed to celebrate Christmas. Her mother was born in a Siberian prison camp.

The crime?

Her teenage brother was caught handing out leaflets that said, ‘Lithuania is free.’ After 50 years of Soviet occupation during the Cold War, many Lithuanians today are wary of any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and are watching the Kremlin’s next moves closely.

‘In my opinion, the only efficient diplomacy with Russia was what Al Capone said, the only good negotiation is when you have a gun on the table. So that’s probably the kind of diplomacy that would work with Russia,’ Šakalienė warned during an interview at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington Friday.

When asked if Putin could be trusted, the 46-year-old defense minister, who once lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as an exchange student, replied, ‘Are you kidding me? After what was done to my family and by Russia for generations, I don’t think you would find any Lithuanian who could trust Vladimir Putin.’

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now more than three years old. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has engaged in direct talks with Russia to end the war.

‘Historically, Russia has never ever kept an agreement,’ Šakalienė said.’ Our only hope is that the tough and harsh approach by President Donald Trump may be the only safeguard keeping Putin in check. So let’s hope that happens.’

Located in Eastern Europe with a population of 2.8 million in an area roughly the size of West Virginia, Lithuania cannot afford to ignore Russia. It shares a 184-mile border with Russia (Kaliningrad) as well as a 420-mile border with Belarus, which she says is ‘now just a platform for the Russian army.’

She said, ‘They are trying to frighten us. They are trying to make us feel insecure,’ about the Russian forces next door.

Lithuania is ramping up defense spending as a result of Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and plans to exceed Trump’s demand that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense. Šakalienė said her country hopes to reach 6% by next year. The U.S. currently spends 3.4%.

Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also urged NATO allies to ramp up defense spending. ‘The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency,’ he warned at NATO headquarters in Brussels on his first overseas trip.

As a NATO defense minister, Šakalienė was there in Brussels. She applauded Hegseth’s remarks, calling them an ‘ice-cold bucket of water.’

‘I saw the faces of my colleagues. A lot of shock, a lot of stress,’ she said. ‘Nobody in the room mentioned 2% [of GDP] which is so redundant, irrelevant, inadequate. It’s gone. It’s old news.’

When asked why Western Europe has been lagging on defense spending years after Russia seized 20% of Ukraine, Šakalienė replied, ‘I think that a very large part of the democratic world got caught up in this illusion of an idealistic world, which has never existed.’

She said part of the illusion was believing wars are over. Russia never thought this way, she explained.

‘The non-democratic part of the world has not changed. They are actually playing by their rules. So if they are not playing by our rules, our blindness is what put us in this dangerous position.’

Šakalienė is the only NATO defense minister sanctioned by China. When asked about Beijing’s motives in supporting Russia, her answer might surprise some people.

‘Russia is able to boost its military production so efficiently because China is feeding it,’ she said. ‘It is useful for China to have this war of exhaustion, and also it is useful for China, even though it supplies Russia, to see Russia also lose a lot of its soldiers – a lot of its weapons and equipment – because a weaker Russia is more convenient to China.’

Despite heavy battlefield losses in Ukraine over the past three years, Russia is building an army of 1.5 million soldiers, according to Šakalienė, who warned Putin has ‘more imperial expansion plans in his hand.’

When Fox News sat down at the Lithuanian Embassy on Friday, Trump was trying to secure a mineral rights agreement with Ukraine and eventually hopes to seek a ceasefire agreement with Russia.

‘If Russia violates the ceasefire, the response must be immediate and violent,’ Šakalienė urged.

When asked for her reaction to a report that Trump is considering not defending NATO allies who do not spend enough on defense, Šakalienė applauded the harsh rhetoric from Trump, calling it ‘painful’ but justified. ‘Everyone needs to contribute, burden sharing is the main rule if you really want to have a strong alliance.’

She pointed to the Baltic States and Poland as leading NATO members in defense spending as a percentage of GDP.

Last year, the European Union, which Lithuania is a member, spent more on Russian oil and gas than aid to Ukraine. Šakalienė said her country was ‘the first one to cut off’ Russian oil and gas. ‘We were even supporting our neighbors, Latvians and Polish with energy supplies. So for us, being independent of Russian energy is a matter of life and death.’

Lithuania’s first LNG terminal was aptly named ‘Independence,’ according to Frank Fannon, who served in Trump’s first term as assistant secretary of state for energy resources.

When Fox News sat down at the embassy, Lithuania had just announced it would be withdrawing from the convention on cluster munitions, an international agreement by more than 100 nations prohibiting cluster bombs. Šakalienė explained why Lithuania is pulling out.

‘We want to be ready to use anything and everything necessary to protect our borders. We don’t want Russians to come to our homes again. We want to send a strategic message, a very clear message, that we will do anything to protect ourselves.’

Lithuania, along with other European nations, also wants to withdraw from another treaty soon known as the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel land mines.

‘This is a terrible weapon, just like cluster munitions, but the Russians are using the weapons, including forbidden weapons. So we want to send the message back,’ she said.

In addition to Russia, China and the United States are also not parties to the agreement. In 2014, the United States announced it would abide by the Ottawa Convention, except for the landmines already deployed on the Korean Peninsula.

Šakalienė, a deeply devout Christian, said Russia is not only attacking Ukraine, but the Christian faith as well.

‘It was Soviet Russia that tried to annihilate the church in Ukraine, in Lithuania, in Poland. They have now sort of revived their Christianity and are using it for KGB infiltration, for FSB infiltration, she said. ‘This is a betrayal.’

She continued, ‘When we see how churches in Ukraine are being bombed, being robbed…the Christian community in Ukraine is being murdered and their beautiful heritage is being destroyed.’

The Lithuanian defense minister ended the interview with a final warning.

‘We tend to try to diminish our enemies. This is a mistake. You have to see them for what they are.’

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Politics

Days from partial government shutdown deadline, here’s where things stand

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is gearing up for a vote on Tuesday on a bill, which, if approved, will avert a partial government shutdown during the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s term.

Given the lack of support from Democrats, Johnson is betting Republicans can muscle through largely by themselves on the 99-page piece of legislation that would keep federal agencies funded until Sept. 30.

Congress must act to avoid a partial government shutdown by Friday, March 14. Despite dozens of conservative defections on continuing resolutions over the past two years, Trump on Saturday called for Republicans to unite to support the bill.

‘The House and Senate have put together, under the circumstances, a very good funding Bill (‘CR’)! All Republicans should vote (Please!) YES next week,’ Trump wrote on TRUTHSocial. ‘Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s ‘financial house’ in order. Democrats will do anything they can to shut down our Government, and we can’t let that happen.’

‘We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right,’ Trump added. ‘VERY IMPORTANT. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’

Still, some Republicans have already signaled they would not support the CR.

‘I’m not voting for the Continuing Resolution budget (cut-copy-paste omnibus) this week,’ Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., posted to X on Sunday. ‘Why would I vote to continue the waste fraud and abuse DOGE has found? We were told the CR in December would get us to March when we would fight. Here we are in March, punting again! WTFO.’

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., meanwhile, said he has never voted for a continuing resolution, but he is on board with Johnson’s effort. He says he has confidence in Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to make a difference on the nation’s debt. ‘I don’t like CRs,’ Norman said. ‘But what’s the alternative? Negotiate with Democrats? No.’

In a call with reporters on Saturday, House Republican leadership aides outlined how the bill provides for $892.5 billion in discretionary federal defense spending, and $708 billion in non-defense discretionary spending.

The aides emphasized that the bill was ‘closely coordinated’ with the White House – while stopping short of saying Trump backed the measure completely, noting he has not reviewed the specific pages yet.

It includes an additional $8 billion in defense dollars in an apparent bid to ease national security hawks’ concerns, while non-defense spending that Congress annually appropriates would decrease by about $13 billion.

There is also an added $6 billion for healthcare for veterans.

The White House has requested additional spending in areas that were not present in the last government funding extension, known as ‘anomalies.’ Among the anomalies requested by Trump and being fulfilled by the bill is added funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Aides said the funding is meant to meet ‘an operations shortfall that goes back to the Biden administration.’

‘That money, most of that, has already been obligated prior to the start of this administration. So that request reflects an existing hole,’ a source said.

The bill also ensures that spending caps placed under a prior bipartisan agreement, the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), are followed. The FRA mandated no more than a 1% federal spending increase in FY 2025.

Cuts to non-defense discretionary spending would be found by eliminating some ‘side deals’ made during FRA negotiations, House GOP leadership aides said. Lawmakers would also not be given an opportunity to request funding for special pet projects in their districts known as earmarks, another area that Republicans are classifying as savings.

The bill does not cover the majority of government spending, including Social Security and Medicare. Funding for those two programs is on autopilot and not regularly reviewed by Congress. Still, Democratic leadership issued a statement Saturday saying they were troubled the bill does not take steps to protect those programs and Medicaid, which Republicans are eying to help pay for extending tax cuts passed in Trump’s first term.

‘We are voting no,’ a trio of House Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said.

The top Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, both issued statements blasting the legislation.

Murray said the legislation would ‘give Donald Trump and Elon Musk more power over federal spending — and more power to pick winners and losers, which threatens families in blue and red states alike.’ DeLauro, in an X post, called the CR ‘a power grab for the White House.’

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who heads the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the focus must be on preventing a shutdown because closures have negative consequences all across government.

‘They require certain essential government employees, such as Border Patrol agents, members of our military and Coast Guard, TSA screeners, and air traffic controllers, to report to work with no certainty on when they will receive their next paycheck,’ Collins said. ‘We cannot allow that to occur.’

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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World

QQQ ETF stock forecast as Nasdaq 100 index crashes below 200 EMA

The Invesco QQQ ETF has plunged and moved below the 200-day moving average as concerns about the equities market rose. The fund, which tracks the popular Nasdaq 100 index, dropped to a low of $480, down by almost 10% from its highest level this year. So, what next for the blue-chip tech ETF?

QQQ ETF technical analysis

The daily chart shows that the QQQ ETF surged to a record high of $540 in February and then suffered a harsh reversal to the current $490. It formed a double-top chart pattern at around $540, and has now retreated below the neckline at $499. A double top is one of the most bearish patterns in the market.

The QQQ stock has crashed below the important support at $500, the highest swing in July 2024. Most importantly, it has moved below the 200-day Weighted Moving Average (WMA) and is now attempting the 200-day Weighted Moving Average (WMA).

The WMA indicator is seen as a more accurate moving average because it focuses mostly on the most recent period. Moving below that level is usually a bearish sign in the market.

Further, the Relative Vigor Index (RVI), Percentage Price Oscillator (PPO), and the Awesome Oscillator (PPO) have all pointed downwards.

The index will likely continue falling as sellers target the extreme oversold level of the Murrey Math Lines point at $453. That price action would point to about 7.5% decline from the current level.

On the flip side, a move above the crucial resistance level at $515 will invalidate the bearish thesis in the market.

QQQ ETF stock chart | Source: TradingView

Why the Nasdaq 100 index has crashed

There are three main reasons why the Nasdaq 100 index has crashed in the past few weeks. First, the most obvious reason is that Donald Trump has decided to go full-throttle with implementing tariffs against key allies like Canada and Mexico and foes like China. These 25% tariffs will likely lead to substantial challenges for companies and individuals.

Trump is not backing down as he has promised to implement reciprocal tariffs in April. These tariffs involve implementing similar tariffs to those other countries levy on the United States. While some tariffs may drop in this case, there is a likelihood that many others will go up.

US GDP growth concerns

Second, the QQQ ETF has crashed as concerns about the US economy remain, with a model by the Atlanta Fed estimating that the economy will contract by 2.4% in the first quarter. This model uses data from the Census Bureau, the Institute of Supply Management (ISM), and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to predict the economic growth in a period.

A weak economic growth is, in theory, bullish for the Nasdaq 100 index because it signals that the Federal Reserve will need to act and start cutting interest rates. Indeed, the falling bond yields and the US dollar index signal that most analysts anticipate that the Federal Reserve will deliver more cuts this year.

The risk this time is that the economy is contracting as inflation remains elevated. Recent data showed that the headline consumer price index (CPI) rose to 3% in January.

AI bubble starting to burst?

The other main concern is that the AI industry that has boosted US tech stocks in the past few years is starting to burst as growth slows. One key issue is that Chinese companies like DeepSeek, Tencent, and Alibaba are using fairly cheap technology to build highly advanced AI models.

These fears explain why the top AI stocks have started to plunge. Palantir stock price has crashed by about 35% from its highest level this year, while NVIDIA is down by 26%. Other smaller AI stocks like SoundHound and C3.ai have plunged by double digits. Therefore, the market will likely need a new catalyst to continue doing well.

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World

AI bubble is bursting: top AI stocks to sell to avoid long-term losses

The artificial intelligence (AI) industry has propelled the US equities market in the past few years. Its strong growth has helped to propel many companies higher, with NVIDIA’s market cap jumping to over $3 trillion.

Recently, however, there are signs that the AI bubble is bursting, which will affect some of the top performers. This article highlights the top AI stocks to sell to avoid long-term losses.

AI stocks to sell now to avoid losses

Investors are typically driven by fear and greed. As such, these investors tend to crowd sectors showing substantial promise. In the late 1990s, the theme was dot-com companies that were doing well. This ended in early 2000s as the dot com bubble burst.

Most recently, cannabis stocks like Tilray Brands, Cronos, and Canopy Growth surged as investors anticipated that the indusry would boom after the US legalization. All these stocks have tanked, with the MSOS ETF that tracks the biggest American companies in the industry, falling by over 94% from its all-time high.

The electric vehicle industry is another one that boomed as many companies sought to mirror Tesla’s performance. Today, most EV stocks like Rivian and Lucid have imploded, while companies like Canoo and Fisker have filed for bankruptcy.

This view can also be explained in terms of the Wyckoff Theory, which identifies the four phases that stocks go through. Stocks initially go through the accumulation phase, followed by the markup where stocks surge as the fear of missing out (FOMO) intensifies. They then go through the distribution and the markup.

Some of the top AI stocks to sell to avoid huge losses in the future are Palantir Technologies (PLTR), SoundHound AI (SOUN), and CrowdStrike (CRWD).

Palantir Technologies (PLTR)

Palantir Technologies is one of the top AI stocks to sell to avoid losses in the long term. It has already crashed by over 30% since our last warning on the company.

The main issue with Palantir is its valuation considering that its market cap surged to over $230 billion recently. It has now retreated to about $200 billion but remains highly overvalued.

While Palantir Technology’s business is booming its forward PE ratio of 147 is much higher than the S&P 500 index average of 22. It is also much higher than other companies in the index that are doing well.

Palantir is still growing, with analysts expecting that the revenue will grow by 37% in Q1 and 32% in 2025. Even with this growth, it is hard to justify this valuation. There are also signs that the stock has moved into the distribution phase of the Wyckoff Theory.

CrowdStrike (CRWD)

CrowdStrike is one of the top AI stocks to sell before it drops further. It has already plunged by over 27% from its highest level this year, and is hovering at its lowest level since November last year.

CrowdStrike’s business is doing well, with its revenue rising by 25% to $1.06 billion in the fourth quarter. Its annual recurring rate rose by 23% to $4.24 billion. Analysts expect that the revenue will grow by 21% this year and 21.85% in 2026. However, its valuation is still high since it has a forward PE ratio of 97, much higher than the S&P 500 average of 21.

SoundHound AI (SOUN)

SoundHound is another top AI stock to sell even as it plunged by over 60% from its all-time high. The most recent results showed that the company’s business was still doing well as its revenue rose by 101% to $34.5 million.

This revenue growth brought its annual figure to over $84 million. Analysts expect that its revenue will grow by 96% this year to $166 million, followed by $215 million next year.

The challenge, however, is whether the company can continue its momentum profitably now that competition is rising.

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World

USD/CHF forecast: Here’s why the Swiss franc is surging

The USD/CHF exchange rate has plunged as the US dollar index (DXY) crashed to its lowest level in months and as traders moved to the safety of the Swiss franc. It retreated to a low of 0.8750 on Friday, its lowest level since November last year. It has crashed by 4.3% from its highest level this year.

Swiss franc as a safe haven

The Swiss franc has surged against the US dollar and other currencies because of its role as a safe haven.

This role has grown in the past few weeks because of the actions by Donald Trump, which have shocked the business community.

Trump has implemented large tariffs on the biggest US trading partners like Canada, Mexico, and China.

These tariffs risk moving the global economy to a recession this year as logistical challenges rise.

The Swiss franc is often seen as a safe haven asset because of Switzerland’s neutrality on key issues. Switzerland is also one of the strongest economies in Europe, with its trade surplus rising.

The USD/CHF exchange rate also retreated after Switzerland published low inflation numbers. According to the statistics agency, Swiss inflation plunged to the lowest level in four years.

The headline CPI rose 0.3% in February, helped by cheaper imports as the Swiss franc strengthened. These numbers mean that the Swiss National Bank may need to slash interest rates again later this year.

Some analysts worry that the SNB may need to push interest rates negative in a bid to devalue it. The bank likes a weaker currency to help manufacturers sell their goods to Europe cheaply.

The market now anticipates that the SNB will slash rates from 0.50% to 0.25% in the next meeting this month, and to zero in June.

US inflation data ahead

The next key catalyst for the USD/CHF pair will be the upcoming US consumer inflation data scheduled on March 11.

Economists expect these numbers to show that the headline consumer inflation dropped from 0.5% in January to 0.3% in February on a YoY basis. Core inflation is expected to remain unchanged at 3.3%.

Most economists expect that US inflation will keep rising in the next few months because the US has added tariffs for key goods. For example, an iPhone price will need to rise by at least 25% because it is manufactured in China.

These expectations have pushed many analysts to predict that the Federal Reserve will slash interest rates three times later this year.

USD/CHF technical analysis

USDCHF chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the USD/CHF exchange rate has been in a strong downward trend in the past few days. It has crashed from a high of 0.9200 to 0.8800, the lowest swing since December 10 last year.

The pair has dropped below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Additionally, the Awesome Oscillator has turned red in the next three consecutive days, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has moved below 50.

Therefore, the USD to CHF pair will likely continue falling as sellers target the next key support at 0.8610, the lowest swing on November 5. The stop-loss of this trade will be at the psychological point at 0.900.

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World

USD/CNY forecast: renminbi outlook as China deflation sticks

The Chinese renminbi has bounced back in the past few weeks as the market ignored the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China. The USD/CNY exchange rate has plunged to a low of 7.2335, its lowest level since November 25. It has dropped by over 1.3% from its highest level this year.

China deflation concerns remain

The USD/CNY exchange rate retreated as concerns that the Chinese economy was going through a period of deflation rose.

Data released on Sunday showed that the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) crashed from 0.7% in January to minus 0.2% in February. It dropped by 0.7% on a year-on-year basis, missing the estimated decline of 0.4%.

Another report showed that the country’s producer price index (PPI) dropped to minus 2.2% in February, missing the estimated drop of minus 2.0%.

These numbers mean that the country is not close to exiting deflation. They also imply that the situation is moving downwards.

Most importantly, the weak inflation data mean that the central bank may need to cut interest rates further this year. Some analysts are predicting at least two or three cuts this year.

These numbers came after China released a series of encouraging economic data. The manufacturing PMI report released this month showed that the sector continued to grow in February.

China has made several actions to boost growth. Beijing introduced stimulus last year, which helped the economy to grow by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. These stimulus helped the country to reach its 5.0% annual growth target.

China is now facing more challenges as Donald Trump has launched a trade war with it. He has implemented large tariffs on goods from China, a trend that may affect demand. However, historically, data shows that US tariffs did not lower exports to the country.

Falling US dollar index

The USD/CHF exchange rate has also dropped because of the falling US dollar index (DXY). This index has retreated from $110 this year to $103.2 as the greenback has plunged against most currencies.

The index has plunged as investors anticipate that the Federal Reserve will need to cut interest rates more times this year. The bank has already slashed rates three times since last year, and it guided towards two cuts this year.

Recent US economic data showed that the economy is starting to slow. For example, consumer confidence plunged in February, which may affect their spending. This slowdown will continue as Trump tariffs remain.

USD/CNY technical analysis

USDCNY chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the USD/CNY exchange rate has pulled back in the past few days. It has dropped from a high of 7.333 in January this year to the current 7.2335.

The pair dropped below the crucial support at 7.2765, the highest swing in July 2024. Also, the MACD indicator has moved below the zero line, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has pointed downwards. Therefore, the pair will likely keep falling as sellers target the next key support at 7.20.

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World

Top crypto price predictions: Notcoin, Quant, DigiByte

Crypto prices remained on edge during the weekend, even after the US embraced policies to support the industry. Bitcoin price was trading at $86,000 on Sunday, while the total market cap of all coins retreated to $2.83 trillion. This article explores the top crypto price predictions, including the likes of Notcoin (NOT), Quant (QNT), and DigiByte (DGB).

Quant price prediction

QNT price chart by TradingView

Quant token has been in a strong downward trend in the past few months. It dropped from a high of $171.5 in December last year to $83 today. This decline happened even a the balances on exchanges continued falling, a sign that investors are not selling.

Quant also made a major breakthrough after Oracle used its technology to launch a blockchain project using its technology. Demand for Quant’s technology will likely keep rising as more companies embrace the Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization trend.

Quant token has now dropped below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The two lines are about to form a death cross, which happens when the two lines cross each other. A death cross is one of the riskiest patterns in the market.

Therefore, the coin may continue falling as sellers target the next key support at $72.8, its lowest swing on February 3. A break below that level will invalidate the double-bottom pattern and lead to more downside.

DigiByte price forecast

DGB chart by TradingView

DigiByte token price bottomed at $0.0070 in February, and has bounced back to $0.011. It is a proof-of-work network that is often seen as a better alternative to Bitcoin and Litecoin.

It is a Made in the USA coin that has faster speeds and has smart contract features. The coin bottomed at $0.0070, and has moved above the 50-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA).

Top oscillators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the MACD indicators have pointed upwards. The coin has moved above the falling wedge chart pattern, a popular bullish reversal sign.

DigiByte is approaching the 61.8% Fibonacci Retracement level, while other oscillators have continued rising. Therefore, the DGB token will likely keep rising as bulls target the next key resistance level at $0.01560, up by over 43% above the current level.

Notcoin (NOT)

NOT chart by TradingView

The Notcoin price has crashed as demand for tap-to-earn tokens failed. NOT has dropped to a low of $0.002070, its lowest level since May last year. It has plunged by over 94% from its highest level in 2024.

Notcoin’s crash has coincided with that of other tap-to-earn tokens like Hamster Kombat, Tapswap, and Catizen. All these tokens, including Toncoin, have all plunged in the past few months.

The Notcoin price has moved below the 50-day moving average, and the crucial support level at $0.002165. It also fell below the important support level at $0.005520, the lowest swing on November 4.

Therefore, the Notcoin price will likely continue falling as sellers target the next key support level at $0.0015.

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Investing

Top 3 ‘best-in-class’ stocks to buy on the recent pullback

US stocks are going through a rough patch amidst concerns the Trump tariffs will lead to inflation and may even trigger an all-out trade war.

While the pressure is being seen across the board, from small to large-cap names alike, there are three “best-in-class” stocks that are particularly worth buying on the recent weakness, according to Jay Woods – the chief global strategist of Freedom Capital Markets.

Woods’ list of best stocks to buy on the dip includes Amazon, Goldman Sachs, and Exxon.

Let’s take a closer look at what each of these three has in store for investors in 2025.

Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN)

Woods agreed in a recent CNBC interview that Trump tariffs continue to be a concern for Amazon.

Still, the market veteran recommended “looking at what they’ve done consistently over time” and load up on the e-commerce behemoth as it’s “best in class”.

Amazon stock has declined nearly 20% since early February. Currently trading at approximately $200 per share, it remains above its 200-day moving average, which Wood highlighted as a favorable risk-reward setup on “Power Lunch.”

The strategist dubbed recent pullback in AMZN an opportunity to buy a quality stock at a deep discount, adding, “$200 is a great level, and then, if this market accelerates, anything cheaper [is a] great opportunity.”

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS)

Shares of the multinational investment bank have declined approximately 15% over the past three weeks, which Jay Woods described as a buying opportunity in the interview.

Trump tariffs and what they may mean for US stocks in the near to medium term have removed focus from a well-founded expectation that “mergers and acquisitions are going to happen” in 2025.

That’s the bull thesis for Goldman Sachs shares, said Woods, adding “I don’t for a minute believe that this isn’t a good place to enter the stock over the long term.”

A healthy 2.11% dividend yield makes GS stock all the more exciting to own at current levels.

Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE: XOM)

While Exxon hasn’t had a pronounced dip like the ones we’ve seen in Amazon and Goldman Sachs in recent weeks, Woods still dubbed the $107 level “a great entry spot” on Friday.

Freedom Capital’s chief strategist sees XOM shares hitting $120 in the coming months which signals potential upside of nearly 13% from here.

Woods likes Exxon stock also for the strength of the company’s financials. In late January, the oil and gas behemoth reported better-than-expected quarterly results on the back of increased output from Permian and Guyana.

Note that Exxon shares currently pay a rather lucrative dividend yield of about 3.68% as well.

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