Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Turmoil
US stocks bloomberg.com plunged Monday as fresh AI concerns hit financial and software companies, with the S&P 500 sliding on worries about artificial intelligence's impact on various sectors. Delivery, payments, and software stocks bloomberg.com slid sharply after Citrini Research published a report outlining potential risks that AI could pose to these segments. Private equity returns bloomberg.com slumped for the fourth straight year as the industry sat on $3.8 trillion of unsold assets and struggled to raise money for new funds.
Tariff Impact
President Trump's tariff defeat bloomberg.com at the Supreme Court will not unravel trade deals negotiated with key US partners, administration officials said, as the government moves to defend its assertive trade policies. Australia bloomberg.com said it will "examine all options" after Trump imposed a 15% tariff on foreign imports, while Chile bloomberg.com for decades finessed the geopolitical rivalry between China, its top trading partner, and the US, its leading foreign investor. European private-equity firms wsj.com sold off steeply Monday as fears around the strength of their underlying holdings intensified amid the tariff uncertainty.
Corporate Moves
Abbott Laboratories bloomberg.com is selling $20 billion of bonds to help fund its acquisition of cancer-screening company Exact Sciences Corp., one of the US high-grade market's biggest offerings this year. Eversource Energy bloomberg.com is set to raise $1.5 billion from selling its first hybrid bonds as the New England utility operator looks to refinance debt. Exchange Income Corp. bloomberg.com is preparing to sell as much as C$500 million ($365 of bonds in its first note sale as the aerospace and aviation business seeks new financing.
Tech & AI
Nvidia investing.com is set to report strong results and guidance, analysts say, even as the AI trade punishes other Big Tech companies. Apple investing.com stands out as an exception, with its App Store growth reaccelerating, according to analysts. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde bloomberg.com said Europe can still capitalize on artificial intelligence, even without leading the way in developing frontier models. ASML finance.yahoo.com unveiled an EUV light source advance that could yield 50% more chips by 2030.
Energy & Commodities
Russian oil bloomberg.com is selling at the deepest discount in the international marketplace in almost three years as western sanctions deter trade with Moscow. Soybeans bloomberg.com reversed earlier losses to turn higher Monday as traders tried to unpack how changes to Trump's tariff regime will impact US crop shipments. US natural gas futures bloomberg.com rose slightly Monday as traders factored in a blizzard slamming into the Northeast pushing up demand for heating and power-plant fuel.
Financial Sector
Moody's investing.com shifted Amazon's outlook to stable amid AI infrastructure spending, while the ratings agency cited a gap in data center accounting for Big Tech companies that may conceal tens of billions in liabilities for leasing costs. Lebanon's commercial banks bloomberg.com lack the liquidity required to repay depositors under a government proposal aimed at plugging an $80 billion gap in the financial system, an adviser to the lenders said. Thames Water's bloomberg.com senior creditors are seeking approval from ratings agencies for a crucial rescue plan that would prevent the ailing utility from slipping into insolvency.
Real Estate & Infrastructure
High Star bloomberg.com plans a $100 million bond sale for a luxury Utah resort, turning to the tax-exempt bond market to fund foundational infrastructure for a new luxury housing-and-retail project along Salt Lake City's booming ski-resort corridor. F2i SGR bloomberg.com, Italy's largest independent infrastructure fund manager, brought its credit assets close to €1 billion ($1.2 as demand grows for private financing to modernize European infrastructure. Germany bloomberg.com will increase its funding for Salzgitter AG's low-carbon steel project to €1.3 billion.
Healthcare & Biotech
Novo Nordisk bloomberg.com Chief Scientific Officer Martin Holst Lange discussed recent clinical trial results of the company's weight loss obesity shot Cagri Sema, which delivered less weight loss than Eli Lilly's rival blockbuster. Almirall investing.com eczema drug beat forecasts, though 2026 guidance flagged margin turn concerns. Abbott is selling $20 billion of bonds to help fund its acquisition of cancer-screening company Exact Sciences Corp.
Manufacturing & Industrial
US factory orders bloomberg.com fell 0.7% in December, while durable goods orders were down 1.4%, according to US Census Bureau data. Packaged food producers ft.com are turning to price cuts as US sales stagnate due to inflation, anti-obesity drugs, and a processed foods backlash driving consumers from snack aisles. Sasol Ltd. bloomberg.com's profit plunged on lower crude prices even as the fuel and chemical producer boosted output and hedged against oil volatility.
Regional Markets
Colombia's peso bloomberg.com is defying economic and political woes after a surprisingly hawkish pivot in monetary policy reinforced the dominant carry trade. Spain's banks investing.com were upgraded as Deutsche Bank sees net interest income recovery and higher returns on tangible equity. Mexico bloomberg.com laid out details of how it located the country's most-wanted drug kingpin, stressing that US security agents didn't actively participate in the operation.
Market Structure
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq bloomberg.com said they will be operating their markets as normal on Monday as a winter storm sweeps through the New York area. NYSE and Nasdaq confirmed stock market hours remain unchanged amid the blizzard, while thousands are without power bloomberg.com and 10,000 flights have been canceled as the powerful storm rips up the US East coast. Parts of New York City bloomberg.com could get up to 28 inches of snow during this blizzard, but most of the transit system is up and running with reduced schedules.