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US employers added 165,000 jobs in October versus about 59,000 expected, and unemployment fell to 4.1%, strengthening the case for a December fed rate hike.

When nearby futures cost more than contracts months out, the market is in backwardation - and it's telling you something important about supply. A short walkthrough of why a downward-sloping futures curve signals physical scarcity, how backwardation differs from contango, what events like the 1973 oil embargo and 2022 Ukraine invasion did to the curve, and why ETF investors pay a hidden cost called roll drag in deep backwardation.

Shield AI is buying radar maker Echodyne for $5.3B. It is funding the deal with a $2.5B raise, including $1B of Series H at a $28.8B valuation.

Beryllium is one of the lightest structural metals on Earth - four times stiffer than aluminium at a fraction of the weight - yet most investors have never heard of it. A short walkthrough of why aerospace and defence dominate demand, why only 200–300 tonnes are produced globally each year, how pricing works without a futures market, and why the US has designated it a critical strategic material.

Upwind raised $400M at a $3.8B valuation for cloud security and AI defense.

Brent Crude prices roughly 70% of the world's oil trade - yet the North Sea fields it's named after now produce under a million barrels a day. A short walkthrough of how a shrinking physical market became the planet's dominant oil benchmark, why Brent trades at a $1–5 premium to WTI, what 60% financial positioning means for price formation, and whether declining North Sea reserves threaten the benchmark's long-term credibility.

Brent crude is down about 16% this week, its steepest weekly loss since April 2020, as peace hopes drain the war premium, before a Friday rebound to $97-99.

Cohere started a Series E at a C$35.7B valuation, targeting about C$7B.

Cadmium powered the world's rechargeable batteries for decades - then regulators stepped in. A short walkthrough of how this toxic byproduct of zinc and copper refining became essential to Ni-Cd batteries, why the EU ban pushed the market into a slow structural decline, where aerospace and defence electroplating keep demand alive, and why cadmium is rarely a standalone investment despite trading on the LME.

Kalshi's new round values the prediction-market platform at $40B.

A calendar spread pairs a long position in one futures month against a short in another - and it's one of the most capital-efficient trades in commodities. A short walkthrough of how spreads profit from curve convergence, the different approaches for contango and backwardation markets, why professional traders use butterfly and condor spreads to isolate specific curve segments, and the key risks that can unwind even a well-constructed spread.

Wabi raised $55M at a $1.25B valuation in a round led by IVP.

Laza Medical raised up to $160M in a Series B led by GE HealthCare for AI-powered robotic imaging in cardiac catheterization.

Fragment came out of stealth with $56M for enterprise AI.

Fact Base raised a $28.8M Series D led by Insight Partners for manufacturing software.

Larridin raised a $30M Series A led by Pelion Ventures to measure AI adoption in companies.