UK and US declare war on Yemen? Plus a few market snippets to end the week – MSFT close to overtaking AAPL and TSLA shuts down production in Germany for a few weeks because of conflict in the Red Sea

Have the UK and the US have declared the war against Yemen, hence making the Red Sea a war zone?

US and Britain strike Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on shipping | Reuters

“WASHINGTON/ADEN, Yemen, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen overnight in retaliation against Iran-backed Houthi forces for attacks on Red Sea shipping, widening regional conflict stemming from Israel's war in Gaza.

Witnesses confirmed explosions at military bases near airports in the capital Sanaa and Yemen's third city Taiz, a naval base at the main Red Sea port Hodeidah and military sites in the coastal Hajjah governorate.”

The effects of the creation of a war zone in the Red Sea are being felt by many companies. Here’s a story about Tesla:

From here:

Exclusive: Tesla Berlin to stop most output for two weeks due to Red Sea disruption | Reuters

“BERLIN, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) will suspend most car production at its factory near Berlin from Jan. 29 to Feb. 11, the company said late on Thursday, citing a lack of components owing to shifts in transport routes because of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

The partial halt to production is evidence that the crisis in the Red Sea has hit Europe's largest economy.

The attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants, in solidarity with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its fight against Israel in Gaza, have disrupted one of the world's most important shipping routes but U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla is the first company to disclose a resulting interruption to output.”

Here’s a Reuters story about MSFT and AAPL vying for the label of “biggest in the world”:

“Apple vs Microsoft

Turning to Apple, it was briefly pipped by Microsoft overnight as the world's biggest company by market cap. Both tech giants are worth around $2.9 trillion, with Microsoft steadily closing the gap since last year because of its early leap into generative AI investment. Meanwhile, China presents a risk for the iPhone maker given the outsized importance of its market.

I wonder who the next AAPL or MSFT will be. A “disruptor” that renders the business models of both redundant. Out of interest, TSLA market value is around one quarter that of the other two at a little over 700 bullion bucks. Ford and GM are valued at less than 50 billion bucks and Toyota is valued at around a quarter of a trillion bucks )263 billion). Makes you wonder why TSLA doesn’t just buy GM, Ford and Toyota!

Onwards!

Please subscribe or donate via Ko-fi – any amount from 3 bucks upwards. Don’t worry and God Bless, if you can’t or don’t want to. Ko-fi donations here: https://ko-fi.com/peterhalligan - an annual subscription of 100 bucks is one third less than a $3 Ko-fi donation a week!