Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Performance & Fed Policy
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran wsj.com said he thinks the Fed needs to cut interest rates by about a percentage point this year. The S&P 500 finance.yahoo.com fell 1.2% marking its first two-week loss since June. The Nasdaq gained more than 1% as Nvidia shares edged higher in postmarket trading. Global market sentiment wsj.com lifted following a recovery in U.S. equities and President Trump's relatively uneventful State of the Union address. U.S. futures wsj.com edged up while European equities fell as new tariffs kicked in. The dollar investing.com steadied after upbeat Nvidia results as nuclear talks and tariff woes remained in focus.
Technology & AI Sector
NVIDIA CEO Huang investing.com said the Saa Spocalypse narrative is wrong and sees a "deep misunderstanding" of the market. Morgan Stanley investing.com says hyperscaler AI spending is set to exceed dot-com peak levels. Applied AI CEO bloomberg.com said the UAE will play an outsized role in AI development. ASML's EUV breakthrough finance.yahoo.com reshapes AI chip output and investor expectations. European AI chip startup Axelera finance.yahoo.com raised an additional $250 million. Companies wsj.com used to get a stock boost from touting AI pilots, but today the term has become a sign they might be falling behind. Investors finance.yahoo.com are dumping software stocks and earnings won't stop it.
Corporate Moves & Restructuring
e Bay wsj.com plans to cut 800 jobs in strategic restructuring. Victory Capital wsj.com filed a competing bid to acquire Janus Henderson, claiming it's higher than the $7.4 billion offered in December. Uber wsj.com plans to acquire parking app Spot Hero to focus on commuter parking. Equinix and CPPIB bloomberg.com are nearing a $4 billion deal for data center firm at North. Dubai Aerospace bloomberg.com agreed to buy Macquarie Air Finance for $7 billion, expanding its fleet to over 1,000 aircraft. WPP ft.com plans to cut £500 million a year in costs in a sweeping overhaul. HSBC investing.com cut U.S. exposure while boosting emerging market equities.
Earnings & Financial Results
Shake Shack wsj.com reported higher fourth-quarter profit as deals drew customers. Papa John's wsj.com posted lower profit and revenue hurt by weak consumer backdrop and higher promotions. Gildan wsj.com set lower-than-expected 2026 targets after a sluggish quarter. Krispy Kreme wsj.com said margins improved during the fourth quarter as the chain's turnaround gained momentum. Hormel wsj.com logged higher profit and revenue in its fiscal first quarter. Vistra investing.com reported weaker quarterly earnings while offering 2026 outlook. Medmix investing.com saw FY25 revenue fall with dividend cut 80% as shares dropped 17%.
Energy & Commodities
Saudi Arabia and the UAE ft.com boosted crude shipments as contingency plans were drawn up for potential disruption to oil flows. Russia finance.yahoo.com eyes higher Urals oil exports to China amid Indian cutbacks. Oil supertankers bloomberg.com became the hottest commodity with 600% gains as high shipping costs concern producers and refiners. Soybeans bloomberg.com climbed as the U.S. told partners to honor trade commitments. First Solar ft.com shares slid as tariff and demand woes bit, with manufacturing also hit by longstanding import taxes on critical components. Clariant bloomberg.com said customers are expecting tariff payback after the U.S. Supreme Court declared Trump's global tariffs under economic emergency powers law to be illegal.
Fixed Income & Credit Markets
Blackstone Private Credit Fund bloomberg.com began marketing bonds due in 2029 after disclosing continued signs of stress in one of its largest investments. Electronic Arts bondholders bloomberg.com are banding together to fight a debt buyback plan. EA bondholders are fighting the debt buyback as S&P casts ratings doubt. BlackRock bloomberg.com sees improving municipal returns this year as market conditions stabilize. Colombia bloomberg.com is preparing a regulation to shift billions of dollars in private pension savings to its public retirement system to ease funding shortfalls. Argentina stocks bloomberg.com are being left behind as earnings growth eludes Milei amid market euphoria fizzling out.
International Markets & Policy
Hong Kong's top developer bloomberg.com profit rose as the market rebounded, showing signs of the city's real estate recovery. Hong Kong exchange ft.com posted record profits on a Chinese listings boom, showing the scale of the city's comeback as a hub for IPOs and trading. Hong Kong ft.com is staking its claim on the global gold trade by building out its bullion infrastructure. Colombia's dollar bonds bloomberg.com fell across the curve and the peso led emerging-market losses after a poll showed leftist Senator Iván Cepeda with a wide lead in the presidential race. Zambia bloomberg.com will use larger-than-expected mining revenues to start a stabilization fund this year. Nigeria bloomberg.com extended a ban on shea nut exports by a year to boost domestic processing.
Regulatory & Legal Developments
A court bloomberg.com awarded record legal costs to My Forex Funds and said it was unimpressed with the conduct of the Canadian regulator. The European Central Bank bloomberg.com found staff are disillusioned about professional development, fairness and transparency. The UK PR executive ft.com left his role after the U.S. embassy raised concerns over online posts. A judge wsj.com rejected a government request to search a Washington Post reporter's devices. The World Economic Forum chief wsj.com stepped down after an Epstein probe review of his past connections.
Consumer & Retail
Indra Sistemas wsj.com shares jumped close to 22% reaching an all-time high after reporting an almost seven-fold uptick in defense orders. Oddity investing.com was hit with downgrades as sales are expected to decline due to an ad algorithm change. Sandisk CEO investing.com said the company is pivoting to long-term data center contracts amid the AI boom. Hertz investing.com fell 5% after a wider Q4 loss on government shutdown and flight cancellations. Puma ft.com sank to a record €645 million loss as sales slid, with major investor Anta Sports potentially having a negative impact on the Greater China business.
Real Estate & Infrastructure
Houston bloomberg.com is savoring a "nice turnaround" as energy HQs flow in, underscoring its role as the industry's linchpin in the Americas. The rise of the Manhattan mega-mansion bloomberg.com is occurring as ultra-rich buyers combine historic townhomes to create suburban-style space in a city with almost no land left to build on. NCBA bloomberg.com sees its Nedbank tie extending reach for wealthy East Africans looking to grow their wealth outside the continent.