AP Business Digest

Here are the AP's top business stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom's Coverage Plan.

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UPCOMING

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CLIMATE-PLASTICS-EXPLAINER

DESCRIPTION: Nations spent two weeks in Geneva negotiating for a treaty aimed at cutting plastic pollution and came up with nothing. With powerful oil-producing nations resisting any attempt to cap the production of plastic largely made from that oil, that means any chance of reducing plastic waste depends on improvements in recycling, reuse and reengineering. Experts are dubious.

UPCOMING: By 08/15/2025 1:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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FINANCIAL MARKETS

Wall Street is coasting toward the finish of a record-setting week

SUMMARY: U.S. stocks are hanging around their records as Wall Street heads toward the finish of another winning week. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% Friday from the all-time high it set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 86 points and was flirting with its own record set in December. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%. UnitedHealth Group's stock jumped after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said it bought nearly 5 million shares of the insurer in the spring, while Applied Materials slumped on worries about its business in China. Treasury yields held relatively steady following mixed reports on the U.S. economy.

WORDS: 727 - MOVED: 08/15/2025 10:19 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ca76a4dfaab0120de80969609866d59a&mediaType=text

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CLIMATE-PLUG-IN SOLAR

Solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the US

SUMMARY: Small-scale solar panels about the size of a door are poised to be plugged into more U.S. homes and apartments as homeowners and renters who want to harness the sun's energy look for cheaper alternatives to rooftop installations. Known as plug-in or balcony solar, the systems that are already popular in Europe could become more attractive to U.S. buyers now that residential rooftop solar credits are being scrapped under the GOP tax bill. Even before the bill passed, manufacturers reported seeing increased demand amid other positive signs such as Utah recently passing a law to streamline regulations for homeowners to buy and install them.

WORDS: 1310 - MOVED: 08/15/2025 10:02 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c162abf520da0fa155dc971270b8684a&mediaType=text

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US--RETAIL SALES

Retail sales rise a solid 0.5% in July from June as shoppers appear to shrug off tariff pressures

SUMMARY: Shoppers spent at a healthy pace in July, particularly at the nation's auto dealerships, as they appear to shrug off President Donald Trump's tariffs, which are starting to take a toll on jobs and lead to some price increases. Retail sales rose a solid 0.5% last month, and June spending was stronger than expected, according to the Commerce Department's report released Friday. June's retail sales were revised upward to 0.9%, from a 0.6% increase, the agency said. The pace in July matched economists' estimates. The increases followed two consecutive months of spending declines -- a 0.1% pullback in April and a 0.9% slowdown in May.

WORDS: 1126 - MOVED: 08/15/2025 9:41 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4c3fd1a7a82ed2ec52a9dfa3ec569076&mediaType=text

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US--UNITEDHEALTH-STOCK

UnitedHealth Group shares climb as Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway discloses stake in the insurer

SUMMARY: Shares of UnitedHealth Group are surging before the market open Friday as Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it recently purchased shares of the beleaguered insurer. Berkshire Hathaway bought around 5 million shares of UnitedHealth last quarter, according to a regulatory filing. The stock was valued at about $1.57 billion.

WORDS: 511 - MOVED: 08/15/2025 7:46 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0e3cad5d2a9efa01ba9605674a513092&mediaType=text

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CHINA-ECONOMY

China's economy lags in July under pressure from tariffs and a weak property market

WORDS: 583 - MOVED: 08/15/2025 3:18 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:65f886fe432f007e02871bf484b28656&mediaType=text

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CB--PUERTO RICO-BAD BUNNY TOURISM

Puerto Rico cashes in on Bad Bunny as thousands flock to the island for his concerts

SUMMARY: Thousands of tourists are descending on Puerto Rico this summer for one of Bad Bunny's concerts as part of the rapper's residency that has boosted the U.S. territory's fragile economy. Visitors are not only coming to see him, but to explore his island. The government and the private sector have launched tours and named food and drinks after his songs while small businesses have sold clothes and other goods sought by tourists. Short-term rentals are up 42% this August and 61% for September, compared with the same period last year. Nearly three dozen hotels are participating in packages that include the concert, generating nearly $200 million.

WORDS: 1172 - MOVED: 08/15/2025 12:02 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7e33e7b35e07afe7fd33b0b8c54fed6b&mediaType=text

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