Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Turmoil
Emerging-market currency volatility bloomberg.com has surged above developed-market peers for the first time since May, breaking a record lull. South Korean equities bloomberg.com bounced back after their biggest one-day slump on record, as bargain hunters returned to a market battered by panic selling. Japanese stocks bloomberg.com rebounded from a market rout triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran, as strong US economic data boosted sentiment.
Oil & Energy Crisis
Middle East oil prices bloomberg.com soared as bids were placed at eye-watering levels on key trading platforms after Platts excluded Gulf loadings. Qatar shut bloomberg.com the world's largest LNG plant after it was targeted in an Iranian drone attack. US LNG producers ft.com rushed to seize on surging gas prices triggered by the Iran conflict, with Venture Global and Cheniere Energy looking to bring on extra capacity. European energy suppliers ft.com pulled fixed-tariff deals as the Iran crisis drove up wholesale costs, while coal prices jumped ft.com as utilities sought alternatives to gas.
Geopolitical Impact
Goldman Sachs Chair David Solomon bloomberg.com discussed market reactions to Iran attacks and private credit concerns. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon bloomberg.com said he's not surprised by the sanguine market reaction to strikes in Iran. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney bloomberg.com said military action can't be ruled out if the Mideast conflict widens. Trump administration officials yahoo.com reportedly warned of more American deaths ahead. Iran fired more missiles ft.com toward Israel as the US Senate voted down efforts to halt military action.
Asian Markets
China set bloomberg.com its most modest growth target since 1991, acknowledging strains in its economic model. China's GDP target investing.com of 4.5%-5% includes stimulus plans for the property sector. China told top refiners bloomberg.com to halt diesel and gasoline exports as the Persian Gulf conflict disrupted crude arrivals. Pop Mart shares bloomberg.com rose after China signaled support for IP consumption. Asian equities rebounded wsj.com as risk appetite improved on strong US economic data. Australia's household spending bloomberg.com rebounded in January despite energy cost pressures.
Gold & Safe Havens
Gold prices rose investing.com on Middle East conflict and a softer US dollar. Gold edged higher wsj.com amid ongoing US-Iran tensions as investors focused on the evolving geopolitical landscape. Billionaire Joy Alukkas bloomberg.com sees gold prices tracking higher over coming years due to geopolitical and economic pressures. The dollar reclaimed bloomberg.com its ultimate haven role as war and inflation angst grew.
Private Markets & Deals
TPG is considering bloomberg.com options for Asia One Healthcare including a sale or IPO amid increasing deal activity for private equity-owned assets. Medline's buyout backers bloomberg.com raised $3.1 billion in a share sale capitalizing on the medical supplier's strong trading since its IPO. D'Ieteren tapped bloomberg.com Rothschild to explore strategic options for its controlling stake in Belvin. Vincorion is set bloomberg.com to kick off its Frankfurt IPO despite Iran conflict roiled equity markets.
Technology & AI
Nvidia refocused ft.com TSMC capacity as export controls stalled China sales, moving production away from H200s intended for the Chinese market. China's $600 billion tech stock rout bloomberg.com risks deepening on AI costs as investors fret over spiraling spending amid heated competition. China's traditional businesses wsj.com are trying to buy into the AI boom, with ham producers and real-estate companies pouring millions into semiconductor companies.
Financial Sector
Morgan Stanley will lay off investing.com 2,500 employees across the company. JPMorgan tested bloomberg.com the 'art of the possible' in leveraged buyouts, leading a record-setting $55 billion takeover financing. JPMorgan's Michael Feroli bloomberg.com said inflation may be heading in the wrong direction based on core PCE data. Federal Reserve's Neel Kashkari bloomberg.com discussed interest rate outlook and central bank independence.
Other Markets
South African stocks bloomberg.com are in a sweet spot as gold and rand gain, with Bank of America saying the record 12-month winning streak has further to go. UK energy suppliers withdrew or raised tariffs after a surge in wholesale costs. Australia's trade surplus investing.com narrowed unexpectedly in January as exports slipped. India's rupee advanced bloomberg.com most in Asia as the RBI stepped in to shore up the currency after it weakened to a record low.
Corporate News
Robinhood launched investing.com a new platinum credit card aimed at wealthy customers. Moderna shares jumped investing.com as a settlement removed major legal overhangs. Apple launched tech.yahoo.com a new generation of MacBook laptops starting at $1,099. OpenAI held talks investing.com with The Trade Desk to sell ads. Anthropic CEO returned investing.com to talks with the Pentagon over an AI deal.