Global demonstrations, international negotiations, and rising conflicts drive MON to drop 14% before market opens

MON perpetual contract is now priced at $0.0548 during pre-market trading, reflecting a 14.09% drop over the past 24 hours. This downturn is occurring alongside significant international developments, such as political instability in Spain, ongoing U.S. diplomatic initiatives, and heightened security concerns across Europe.

According to Reuters, massive crowds in Valencia, Spain, rallied to demand that regional leader Carlos Mazon step down, criticizing his response to the devastating floods in October 2024 that resulted in 229 fatalities.

Many demonstrators, including survivors of the disaster, accused officials of slow emergency action and called for accountability, with one individual remarking, "They could have been avoided." An official probe into the authorities' actions is still underway, and a journalist who interviewed Mazon during the floods has recently been called in for questioning, Reuters added.

Elsewhere, the Trump administration pressed forward with diplomatic outreach in Asia, as President Trump witnessed the signing of a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand during a tour that also included Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, GlobeNewswire reported

These deals reaffirmed current trade arrangements, such as a 19% tariff on U.S. goods exported to those nations, and highlighted collaboration on vital minerals, according to a New York Times live update . Despite facing internal issues like a 25-day government shutdown, Trump emphasized his administration’s priorities on law enforcement and national defense, referencing drug confiscations and arrests, as noted by GlobeNewswire.

Meanwhile, tensions in Europe escalated when Lithuania once again shut down Vilnius airport after balloons from Belarus entered its airspace, Reuters stated

. This is the fourth occurrence this month, with Lithuanian authorities attributing the incidents to smugglers and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The National Security Commission of Lithuania plans to review the matter in the near future, Reuters reported.

In business news, Materion Corporation (MTRN) announced a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share, highlighting its significance as a major beryllium supplier for the U.S. defense and aerospace sectors, according to Yahoo Finance

. The dividend declaration demonstrates Materion’s ongoing commitment to rewarding shareholders, even as the company faces challenges such as fluctuating raw material costs and supply chain uncertainties, Yahoo Finance noted.