Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Performance
US stocks tumbled bloomberg.com on Monday as fresh concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on financial and software companies weighed on sentiment. The S&P 500 sank while Nvidia gained ahead of its earnings report, highlighting the sector divergence. European stocks fell bloomberg.com as President Trump's latest tariff moves sowed fresh confusion over the global trade outlook, with shares in Novo Nordisk slumping after its next-generation obesity shot missed key targets.
Housing & Real Estate
Stocks exposed to the US housing market plummeted Wednesday bloomberg.com as investors assessed grim outlooks from companies like home improvement retailer Lowe's. The retail sector faced additional pressure when TJX Cos. posted wsj.com a jump in profit and sales during the fourth quarter but guided for growth to slow slightly. Meanwhile, John Lewis ft.com ditched plans to build 10,000 homes, pulling the plug on the venture due to changes in UK economic conditions and the property market slowdown.
Energy Markets
US natural gas futures bloomberg.com settled down in thin trading, closing to the lowest in about five months as forecasts shifted warmer, indicating lower demand for heating and power-plant fuel. Crude oil inventories wsj.com rose by 16 million barrels, posting their biggest weekly increase in three years as imports rose, exports fell and refineries cut their capacity use. Saudi Arabia bloomberg.com is on course to ship the most oil from its ports in almost three years this month, bringing supply to the global market at a time when crude traders are monitoring US-Iran tensions.
Technology & AI
Fears that artificial intelligence may spell bad news for software giants have been pressuring stock market valuations for months. Now, those same fears are creeping into private markets bloomberg.com too. Morgan Stanley Investment Management bloomberg.com is adding to emerging-market bets that are insulated from the AI boom as it positions for a potential pullback in the crowded tech trade. Meanwhile, Citigroup bloomberg.com has formed a group focused on the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom comprised of leaders from its investment banking and corporate banking teams.
Banking & Finance
US banks enjoyed record profits ft.com of $300 billion in 2025 as they pay lower rates of interest to savers and write more loans under the Trump administration. Omnicom Group bloomberg.com offered bonds in Europe and the US for the first time since 2024 on Wednesday, the advertising heavyweight's initial offerings since completing its takeover of rival IPG in November. HSBC shares hit record highs ft.com as the bank accelerates cost savings and lifts its target under Chief Executive Georges Elhedery's overhaul.
Corporate Developments
Coller Capital bloomberg.com agreed to buy $477 million of assets from New Mountain Finance Corp. as the private credit fund looked to boost its financial flexibility. Tefal pan-maker Groupe SEB wsj.com is undertaking a major strategic overhaul using AI to drive a turnaround after what it called a difficult year, planning to cut 7% of jobs. BlackRock bloomberg.com says real yields on European corporate debt are the highest in over a decade and guarantee decent returns for investors, even with spreads around their tightest in years.
Stablecoins & Digital Assets
Circle Internet wsj.com reported quarterly profit surged on stablecoin demand as the world's second-biggest stablecoin grew in late 2025, defying a crash in bitcoin and other digital assets. Revolut ft.com won FCA backing for stablecoin testing despite licence limbo, with the UK fintech chosen by the regulator to test cryptocurrency even as it awaits key lending approvals. Redot Pay bloomberg.com, a stablecoin payments company based in Hong Kong, is considering an initial public offering in the US to potentially raise over $1 billion.
International Markets
Hong Kong bloomberg.com is planning for the first time in 40 years to draw money from the fund that ensures the stability of its currency peg, in part to help finance the development of a technology hub on the city. Australia bloomberg.com is set to get its first Trump-branded hotel with a 91-storey building combining a hotel and luxury apartments planned for the Gold Coast. China's stocks reopened higher investing.com on tariff relief hopes and Lunar New Year spending data.
Metals & Mining
Emirates Global Aluminium bloomberg.com is boosting shipments to the US despite stiff tariffs, as growing shortages drive American prices to levels that offset the levies. First Solar shares slid ft.com as tariff and demand woes bite, with manufacturing also hit by longstanding import taxes on critical components such as aluminum. SQM's lithium partnership bloomberg.com with Codelco churned out slightly more of the battery metal than forecast last year as the industry continues to emerge from a global glut.
Healthcare & Biotech
Sandoz shares jumped wsj.com on improved guidance after the company bumped up its revenue guidance thanks to growth in its biosimilar product range. Blackbaud CEO investing.com says AI tools expand customer spend and strengthen competitive moat. Novo Nordisk shares slumped after its next-generation obesity shot missed key targets, contributing to the broader market decline.
Retail & Consumer
Dine Brands Global wsj.com posted higher fourth-quarter revenue but swung to a loss on an impairment charge and notched lower comparable sales at its Applebee's Neighborhood Bar + Grill locations. Bed Bath & Beyond wsj.com narrowed its fourth-quarter loss and targets revenue growth in 2026, expecting growth to be in the low- to mid-single digits. TJX earnings beat estimates investing.com but guidance disappointed investors despite the company's continued market share gains.
Manufacturing & Industrials
Leonardo Sp A investing.com reported FY25 orders surged on aeronautics strength while debt shrank. Vestel Elektronik bloomberg.com, a Turkish home-appliance and electronics manufacturer that has reported losses every quarter for the past two years, is in talks with banks to restructure more than $500 million of debt. Groupe SEB plans to cut 7% of jobs citing AI gains as part of its strategic overhaul.
Trade & Policy
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer bloomberg.com said President Trump will sign a supplemental proclamation to increase the tariff level to 15% "where appropriate," as the US seeks "continuity" on tariff policy. Mexico bloomberg.com has cards to play with Trump amid reports weighing pulling out of the USMCA trade deal, which would be a terrible idea according to analysts. EU diplomats scrambled yahoo.com to overcome Hungary's threat to derail new sanctions on Russia.
Regional Developments
Colombia bloomberg.com is preparing a regulation to shift billions of dollars in private pension savings to its public retirement system, a move that could help ease a funding shortfall. Ecuador ft.com is eyeing a $4 billion bond sale return to international markets. India's Jindal Group bloomberg.com is seeking to raise as much as $1 billion from offshore loans to fund overseas expansion.
Market Outlook
Investors fleeing AI upheaval may turn to euro bonds, says ING, as European government bonds could prove attractive to those seeking shelter from swings in US stocks caused by artificial intelligence developments. UBS Wealth CIO bloomberg.com says the threat to software-backed businesses from AI should prompt investors to shift focus from technology to companies that toil in the physical world, like miners and power producers. Goldman estimates investing.com AI-powered capex growth rate to peak later this year, suggesting the current investment cycle may have limits.