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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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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US--ALASKA AIRLINES-GROUNDED
Alaska Airlines resumes operations after equipment failure at a data center grounds all flights
SUMMARY: Alaska Airlines has resumed operations after the failure of a critical piece of hardware forced the airline to ground all its flights for approximately three hours. The company says the effects of the outage will linger into Monday. The carrier issued a system-wide ground stop for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights around 8 p.m. Pacific time Sunday. The Seattle-based company said on social media that the stop was lifted at 11 p.m. More than 150 flights have been canceled since Sunday evening, including 64 Monday. The airline said it is working to fix the hardware at its data center and get passengers to their destinations.
WORDS: 353 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 10:22 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f54e7fd57aee5c02270e4c5a33c1eb4d&mediaType=text
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US--STELLANTIS-TARIFFS
Stellantis warns of $2.7 billion loss for 1st half of 2025 due to tariffs and some big charges
WORDS: 200 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 10:21 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a13b081cb947383b1c7de9ce722bedc4&mediaType=text
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MICROSOFT-HACK
What to know about a vulnerability being exploited on Microsoft SharePoint servers
SUMMARY: Microsoft is issuing an emergency fix to close off a vulnerability in Microsoft's SharePoint software that hackers have exploited to carry out widespread attacks on businesses and at least some federal agencies. The company said in its blog post that it discovered at least dozens of systems were compromised around the world.
WORDS: 310 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 10:18 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:65ebcae88267e1aa375013adaa283765&mediaType=text
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US--PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE-BY THE NUMBERS
A look at Starbucks and its Pumpkin Spice Latte, which returns to US menus Aug. 26
SUMMARY: Want a little autumn in your August? You're in luck. Starbucks said Monday that its Pumpkin Spice Latte will return to store menus in the U.S. and Canada on Aug. 26. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks' most popular seasonal beverage, with hundreds of millions sold since its launch in 2003. It's also produced a host of imitations; Dunkin' introduced pumpkin-flavored drinks in 2007, while McDonald's brought them to its menu in 2013. The latte is a reliable booster of traffic to stores. According to Placer.ai, Starbucks' U.S. store traffic rose 24% last year on Aug. 22, when the PSL went on sale.
WORDS: 401 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 10:13 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:11c4251b5b3259c40e6aab7c7a09b4d8&mediaType=text
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS
Wall Street rises toward records as Verizon begins a big week for profit reports with a beat
SUMMARY: U.S. stocks are rising toward more records ahead of a week full of profit updates from big U.S. companies. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% Monday and was above its all-time high set on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 153 points, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.7% to its own record. Verizon Communications helped lead the way following its better-than-expected profit report. Other market heavyweights slated to report their results for the spring this week include Alphabet, Coca-Cola and Tesla. Stocks slipped across much of Europe but rose in much of Asia, while Treasury yields eased in the bond market.
WORDS: 627 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 10:13 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f8b796193ca767a3b0f8856eba0ae268&mediaType=text
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US-MED--FDA-DRUG CHIEF
FDA names former pharmaceutical company executive to oversee US drug program
SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration named a longtime pharmaceutical executive to run the agency's drug program. Dr. George Tidmarsh is the founder and former CEO of several drugmakers. He was named Monday to run the FDA's center for drugs, which employees nearly 6,000 staffers. His appointment comes a month after the center's acting director announced her retirement. As the agency's top drug regulator, Tidmarsh would be tasked with following through on a number of commitments by the Trump administration. That includes reviewing the 25-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.
WORDS: 452 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 10:01 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:88471eab7dcaf1ab8cc4dd2491218120&mediaType=text
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EU--GERMANY-ECONOMY
Companies pledge to invest more than $700 billion in Germany over the next 3 years
WORDS: 356 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 9:26 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7d7dbc48599f9a6b75afd5be9497b449&mediaType=text
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US--ECONOMY-BANK ACCOUNTS
More Americans shift money from checking and savings to accounts with investment income, study says
SUMMARY: New research finds that more Americans are shifting their money from checking and savings accounts into financial vehicles that pay an investment income. The trend helps to explain the resilience of the U.S. economy after a bout of high inflation and recent uncertainty due to tariffs. The analysis by the JPMorganChase Institute examined the accounts of 4.7 million households. It found that people's total cash reserves are increasing after including brokerage accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit to assess people's well-being. This helps to explain the strong consumer spending even though checking and savings account balances were below historical trends.
WORDS: 310 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 9:00 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:dbf6c9d356de2349ec89ed9e3c99168c&mediaType=text
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US--CRYPTO TOKENS
'Please be careful.' There are risks and rewards as crypto heavyweights push tokenization
SUMMARY: The financial world is buzzing about tokenization, a process using blockchain to turn real-world assets like stocks or real estate into digital tokens. Advocates say this could revolutionize investing, making it cheaper, more transparent, and accessible to everyone. Robinhood recently launched tokenized stock trading in Europe, offering tokens tied to private companies like OpenAI, sparking controversy. Critics warn tokenization could undermine investor protections and securities laws, likening it to risky practices of the 1920s. The SEC has urged caution, emphasizing legal disclosure requirements. Despite concerns, tokenization is gaining momentum, with projections suggesting it could reshape global finance by 2030.
WORDS: 1113 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 8:38 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:bfd41220717fe9b6ebcd0305005e0018&mediaType=text
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US--FORD-FUEL INJECTOR-RECALL
Ford recalls more than 694,000 Bronco Sport, Escape vehicles due to fuel injector issue
SUMMARY: Ford is recalling more than 694,000 Bronco Sport and Escape vehicles because the fuel injector may crack and leak, which may cause a fire. The automaker isn't aware of any injuries related to the fires. The recall impacts certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2020-2022 Escape vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A letter notifying vehicle owners of the safety risk is expected to be mailed on Aug. 18. A second letter will be sent once the final remedy is available.
WORDS: 249 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 8:29 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:dcb89eee90c6940e623839276dca6e05&mediaType=text
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EU--FRANCE-X-INVESTIGATION
X says French accusations of data tampering and fraud are politically motivated
SUMMARY: Elon Musk's social media platform X is denying accusations of data tampering and fraud by French prosecutors. On Monday, X called the investigation politically motivated. The Paris prosecutor's office announced earlier this month that it is investigating alleged algorithm manipulation and fraudulent data extraction. The claims involve an automated data processing system, but details remain unclear. Prosecutors say the investigation stems from information provided in January by a member of parliament and a senior government official. X says it's in the dark about the specific allegations but believes the case distorts French law to push a political agenda and limit free speech.
WORDS: 224 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 7:53 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:57c8827aa605558fb117991951c6df30&mediaType=text
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ML--IRAN-HEAT WAVE
Iran's capital and surrounding province will shut for a day due to a heat wave
WORDS: 141 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 4:27 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:efd48ff670091bba6891f1b359fe565b&mediaType=text
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AS--CHINA-MARKETS-PRICE WARS
Chinese investors snap up stocks on hopes for an end to price wars and overcapacity
WORDS: 877 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 1:42 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:07025779c73c86575559e34450a5df3b&mediaType=text
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AS--JAPAN-ELECTION
Ishiba's coalition loses majority in Japan's upper house election
SUMMARY: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition has lost its majority in the upper house of parliament. The coalition fell short of the 50 seats needed to secure a majority in the 248-seat chamber. This follows their October loss in the lower house, leaving the coalition a minority in both houses for the first time since 1955. Ishiba has vowed to stay on despite mounting challenges, including economic struggles and U.S. trade tensions. Meanwhile, opposition parties, including populist groups, gained ground, reflecting voter frustration with rising prices and political instability. Calls for Ishiba to step down may intensify.
WORDS: 1034 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 12:47 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fcc2fb4cce609240d1c2369bf4090e26&mediaType=text
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ENT--FILM-BOX OFFICE
'Superman' flexes its might in second weekend with $57.3 million
SUMMARY: James Gunn's "Superman" continues to top the box office charts in its second weekend in theaters. According to studio estimates Sunday, the film collected $57.3 million in ticket sales this weekend. New releases include "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Smurfs," and "Eddington, " but none of those movies came close to touching Warner Bros. and DC Studios' superhero success. "Superman" dipped 54% from its domestic opening weekend, an average decline for a big summer release. In two weeks, "Superman" has grossed $406.8 million worldwide, a good start for the film DC Studios is banking on to restart its movie operations. A big test looms next weekend when Walt Disney Company will release Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."
WORDS: 800 - MOVED: 07/21/2025 12:29 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:425dde4cb2796b59959ea5af4ecffbcc&mediaType=text
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