Good Morning, will the US know today the new president?

• Donald Trump has won the key US states of North Carolina and Georgia in the presidential race, bringing him closer to a return to the White House. In total, Trump has 246 electoral votes, while Kamala Harris has 182 - you need 270 to win. Harris now has a narrow path to victory over the Rust Belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but is trailing there. The Republicans were able to win the majority in the Senate, while the battle for the House of Representatives is still unclear. According to polls, Trump received more votes from Hispanic voters and people with financial worries than in 2020. The markets are also increasingly pricing in a Trump victory.
• Republicans have gained control of the US Senate by winning seats in West Virginia and Ohio and could make further gains. With a majority of 51 to 49 seats, the party will be able to appoint conservative judges and block Harris' agenda in the event of a Trump victory if they win the presidency. In the House of Representatives, the Republicans were also able to win seats from the Democrats in Pennsylvania and North Carolina and therefore have a chance of expanding their majority. However, the outcome remains unclear in many close races, especially in the Democratic-leaning states of New York and California.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and replaced him with Israel Katz. This decision was taken in the midst of the ongoing war against Hamas and Hezbollah and was met with criticism as it could jeopardize Israel's security.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi declared that the first clashes between Ukrainian and North Korean troops opened a “new page of instability in the world”. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed a first small incident with North Korean troops, who apparently joined the Russian side. According to the South Korean Ministry of Defense, there are more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia, including many in frontline areas. Selensky called on the international community to react decisively to this escalation and to support the defense of Ukraine.
• The Pakistani province of Punjab has set up a “smog war center” to combat the extreme air pollution in Lahore. The city currently tops the list of the world's most polluted cities. The center coordinates air pollution control measures, monitors data on a daily basis and makes recommendations for action. Last week, Lahore reached a record level with an index of 1900, triggering school closures and home office orders. Punjab's Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also pointed to pollution from neighboring India.
• The US will continue its pro-Taiwan stance after the presidential election, according to a senior Taiwanese security official. Taiwan will also work with international partners to monitor China's activities and prevent disruptions during the change of administration in the US. Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, had hinted during the election campaign that Taiwan should pay for protection, accusing the island of weakening the US semiconductor industry. Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs emphasized that economic relations with the US were deeply rooted and would remain stable regardless of the election result.
• Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg faces major challenges after a seven-day strike: He must restore the confidence of factory workers and leadership, ramp up production of the 737 MAX and restructure the defense and aerospace division. The new contract, which includes a 38% pay rise, was approved by a narrow margin of 59%, revealing deep rifts within the company.
• OpenAI: Taking next steps to become a for-profit company The ChatGPT maker is in initial discussions with California authorities to change its status from a non-profit organization to a for-profit company. This conversion could entail a close examination of the valuation of its valuable intellectual property. (FT)
• CoreWeave: Prepares for IPO in 2025 Cloud computing provider CoreWeave - which plays a central role in AI infrastructure - has picked Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase as lead banks for its planned IPO next year. The company was valued at $23 billion in October. (BBG)
• France: AI health assistant for 680,000 people French health insurer Alan has launched an AI-based health assistant called Mo for its 680,000 members. Mo offers a chat function that provides medical information verified by doctors. (TC)
• Trump media on the upswing: Shares in Trump Media & Technology rose in the run-up to the election result - makes sense, after all Trump owns 57% of the media company
• Bitcoin hype: The cryptocurrency climbed close to $75,000 - Trump's plans to make the US a “crypto hub” triggered a wave of buying
• Tesla a Trump beneficiary: With Elon Musk's support for Trump, Tesla shares jumped 3.54%, fueling hopes for pro-business policies
• Government bonds in focus: Yields on 10-year US Treasuries exceeded 4.45% for the first time in months - driven by speculation of possible deficits and fiscal easing under Trump
• Auto crisis update: Audi, Schaeffler, Volkswagen Volkswagen subsidiary Audi's Q3 operating profit plunged 91% to €106m, auto supplier Schaeffler plans to cut thousands of jobs, Volkswagen cuts anniversary bonuses - +10,000 employees affected (MM, BBG, HB)
• Investor favorite Novo Nordisk: Share price plunges ahead of quarterly figures The pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk has risen to become the most valuable stock market group in Europe with its Wegovy weight loss injection. However, the share price has been falling for months: investor nervousness has increased again ahead of today's quarterly figures. (INV)
• Lufthansa and Italy: dispute over ITA purchase price Lufthansa and Italy actually wanted to submit the conditions required by the EU Commission for the acquisition of ITA in Brussels on Monday. However, the deal now appears to be on hold. (RT)
• Meta: Opens LLama AI for the US military
• Audi: Makes significantly less turnover & profit than a year ago (NTV) 
• Condor: Will soon also fly within Germany (TGS) 
• Boss: Decline in profits at the fashion group - shares fall significantly (HB) 
• Zalando: On course for growth - successful Q3 (YAH) 
• Lilium: Air cab developer looking for investors after insolvency (FG)
• US election: Trump wins contested states North Carolina and GEorgia, overall result still pending (NYT) 
• AstraZeneca: China boss comes under suspicion of corruption (FT) 
• Home Depot: Co-founder Bernie Marcus dies at 95 (NYT) 
• Boeing: Collective bargaining agreement reached - strike ended (SPG) 
• OpenAI: Presses ahead with transformation into a for-profit company (MM)
• Uniper: Repays state aid
• Steel deal? Papenburg reaches for Salzgitter AG
• GlobalFoundries rises after the company performed better than expected in the third quarter.
• NXP Semiconductors falls after issuing a weak forecast for the fourth quarter.
• Ferrari shares fall as exports to China plunge 29% in the third quarter.
• Burberry shares fall after investors realize profits from takeover speculation with Moncler.
• Hugo Boss reports a fall in profits in the third quarter despite a slight increase in sales and loses on the stock market.
• Vestas shares slump as quarterly profits fall short of expectations.
• Nordex shares fall and are thus the biggest loser in the MDax.
• The prospect of a takeover drives Salzgitter shares to their highest level since July.
• Intel shares fall after being kicked out of the Dow Jones, while Nvidia rises as a successor.
• Cirrus Logic falls as the sales forecast for the third quarter disappoints.
• Palantir rises after the quarterly figures exceed all expectations and the company raises its forecast for the year.