Trending Market News

Stellantis is seeking to exit its U.S. battery joint venture with Samsung SDI as the automaker scales back electric vehicle ambitions, according to Bloomberg News. The move follows Stellantis reporting over $26.5 billion in writedowns last week. No final decision has been made, and an exit could be costly and lengthy.

• Stellantis reported more than $26.5 billion in writedowns last week, driving the reassessment of its EV strategy
• The automaker is exploring divestment options including selling its stake to a third party, though the process could be expensive and time-consuming
• Stellantis stated it continues to have 'ongoing collaborative discussions' with Samsung on the future of their StarPlus Energy joint venture

Polish arms manufacturer Niewiadow-PGM signed a framework agreement with U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman to produce 155mm artillery ammunition in Poland, primarily targeting the European market. The deal covers cooperation on preparation, production, certification, and market introduction, though financial terms were not disclosed. The 155mm shell is widely used by Ukraine but has been in short supply.

• The partnership involves Niewiadow and its subsidiaries Elaboracja Niewiadow and Zaklady Sprzetu Precyzyjnego Niewiadow in joint production efforts
• The first cooperation area focuses on 155mm artillery shells currently at an advanced stage of preparation for certification
• The agreement aims to develop production capacity in Poland and enable joint market initiatives for ready-made ammunition solutions in Europe

German pilots' union VC has called for a 24-hour strike on February 12, 2026, at Lufthansa's main airline and Lufthansa Cargo over a dispute regarding pension benefits and working conditions. The strike will affect all flights departing from German airports on that date. Negotiations have been ongoing since union members voted to authorize strike action in September 2025, but talks have been intermittent without resolution.

• The strike will impact Lufthansa Group's core German airline and Lufthansa Cargo for a full 24-hour period on February 12
• Union demands include more generous retirement benefits and improved working conditions at subsidiaries CityLine, City Airlines, and Discover
• Members authorized strike action in late September 2025, and subsequent negotiations have been sporadic and unsuccessful

Ford Motor is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and year-end earnings after market close on Tuesday, with Wall Street expecting a significant decline in performance. Analysts forecast a 6.8% revenue drop and more than 50% fall in adjusted earnings per share compared to the prior year. The results will include one-time charges related to postretirement benefit adjustments and restructuring costs tied to pullbacks in electric vehicle investments.

• Wall Street expects automotive revenue of $41.83 billion, representing a 6.8% year-over-year decline, with adjusted earnings per share falling more than 50%
• Fourth-quarter results will include special charges for postretirement benefit adjustments and restructuring costs from business priority changes and reduced EV investments
• Investors will focus on Ford's 2026 forecast and production updates for F-Series pickup trucks following a supplier fire that has impacted operations

Tesla has filed a criminal complaint against a member of Germany's IG Metall trade union for allegedly secretly recording a works council meeting at its German production plant. The complaint was disclosed in a staff memo and confirmed by Tesla, highlighting tensions between the automaker and union representatives at its facility outside Berlin.

• The alleged secret recording took place during a works council meeting on Tuesday at Tesla's Gruenheide plant near Berlin
• Tesla confirmed filing the criminal complaint and notified staff through an internal memo
• IG Metall representatives were not immediately available to comment on the allegations

Boeing delivered 46 aircraft in January 2026, marking the third-highest January total in company history, and secured 103 net new orders. The U.S. planemaker outperformed European rival Airbus in both deliveries and orders for the month, with deliveries including 38 of its 737 MAX jets and five 787 Dreamliners.

• Boeing beat Airbus with 46 deliveries versus 19, and 103 net orders versus 49 in January, though Boeing's total was down from 63 deliveries in December
• Major orders included Aviation Capital Group purchasing 50 737 MAX jets split between 737-8 and 737-10 variants, and Delta ordering 30 787s
• Aircraft deliveries are critical to Boeing's cash flow as planemakers collect the majority of payment upon jet delivery to customers

Google received unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity firm Wiz, its largest deal ever. European regulators determined the transaction would not raise competition concerns, as any data acquired is not commercially sensitive and remains accessible to other security software companies. The deal strengthens Google's position in cybersecurity and cloud computing, where it trails rivals Amazon and Microsoft.

• The $32 billion Wiz acquisition, announced in March 2025, is Google's biggest deal to date and aims to boost its cloud computing presence against larger competitors Amazon and Microsoft
• The European Commission granted unconditional approval, stating that data acquired through the deal is not commercially sensitive and can be accessed by other security software firms
• Tech acquisitions face heightened regulatory scrutiny amid concerns about big companies expanding market power and potentially excluding smaller competitors

Lawyers for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will testify before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on February 10 regarding the FBI's 2023 acquisition of phone toll records from eight senators' phones. The records were obtained via subpoenas issued during special prosecutor Jack Smith's investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The hearing addresses concerns about privacy protections for members of Congress when their phone data is sought by law enforcement.

• All three telecom companies received subpoenas for phone records as part of Jack Smith's investigation, which targeted several Republican senators who supported efforts to overturn the 2020 election
• AT&T and Verizon announced new procedures including identifying all congressional phone numbers (not just official ones) and requiring senior leadership notification before disclosing member data to law enforcement
• The underlying criminal case against Trump was dropped after his 2024 election victory due to Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, though Smith stated evidence would have been sufficient for conviction

Executives from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will testify before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday regarding their disclosure of senators' phone records to the FBI. The records were obtained via subpoenas as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. All three companies are promising enhanced privacy protections for congressional members going forward.

• The FBI obtained 'toll records' from eight senators' phones in 2023 as part of the January 6 investigation, with many targeted senators having supported Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election
• AT&T pledged to develop procedures to identify all congressional phone numbers, not just official ones, to better protect members' privacy expectations
• Verizon and T-Mobile committed to notifying senior leadership before disclosing information on lawmakers and will challenge non-disclosure orders in court when possible

Paramount has revised its $30-per-share acquisition offer for Warner Bros Discovery by adding a 25-cent quarterly ticking fee, equaling approximately $650 million in cash per quarter. Paramount also agreed to fund the $2.8 billion termination fee that Warner Bros owes Netflix if the deal collapses.

• The quarterly ticking fee of 25 cents per share translates to roughly $650 million in additional cash value each quarter
• Paramount will cover the $2.8 billion termination fee Warner Bros Discovery owes to Netflix if the acquisition fails
• Neither Warner Bros Discovery nor Netflix immediately responded to requests for comment on the revised offer terms

U.S. retail sales remained flat in December, falling short of economist expectations for a 0.5% increase according to the Dow Jones consensus. The stagnation in consumer spending suggests potential weakness in the economy heading into year-end.

• Retail sales showed 0% growth in December versus the 0.5% increase expected by economists
• The miss indicates softer consumer demand during the critical holiday shopping season
• Flat sales performance may signal concerns about economic momentum and consumer confidence

Hasbro and Warner Bros Discovery's global consumer products division announced a multi-year partnership on February 10 to develop toys and games based on the Harry Potter franchise. The deal extends Hasbro's presence in the entertainment licensing space while giving Warner Bros Discovery a major toy manufacturer partner for one of its most valuable intellectual properties.

• The partnership grants Hasbro rights to create Harry Potter-themed toys and games for multiple years
• Warner Bros Discovery's global consumer products division is managing the licensing agreement on behalf of the media company
• The deal positions Hasbro to capitalize on the enduring popularity of the Harry Potter universe across multiple product categories

Harley-Davidson reported a wider net loss of $279 million ($2.44 per share) in Q4, driven by reduced consumer spending on recreational vehicles amid inflation pressures. The results underscore how rising costs have forced Americans to cut back on big-ticket purchases like motorcycles, prompting the legacy brand to pursue cost-cutting measures and develop more affordable models.

• Inflation has squeezed household budgets, leading consumers to rethink major discretionary purchases such as motorcycles
• The company is relying on cost cuts and demand for higher-margin touring and custom bikes from wealthier customers to maintain margins amid softer sales volumes
• Harley announced plans to develop a smaller, lower-priced 'Sprint' model to attract entry-level and younger riders

Coca-Cola is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday, with Wall Street expecting $12.03 billion in revenue. The beverage giant has experienced softening demand from low-income consumers cutting grocery spending, though premium brands like Fairlife and Smartwater remain strong. This marks CEO James Quincey's final earnings report before COO Henrique Braun succeeds him on March 31.

• Demand has weakened in recent quarters as low-income shoppers reduce spending on beverages
• Premium brands including Fairlife and Smartwater show continued strength among high-income consumers willing to pay more
• Leadership transition underway with COO Henrique Braun becoming CEO on March 31, while Quincey moves to executive chair role

CVS Health reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded Wall Street estimates and reaffirmed its 2026 profit guidance, signaling progress in its turnaround plan under CEO David Joyner. The company sees full-year profit of $7 to $7.20 per share and maintains 2026 revenue guidance of at least $400 billion despite $20 billion in headwinds. The results come as CVS cuts costs, restructures operations, and works to restore margins at its Aetna insurance business, fueling a roughly 40% stock rise over the past year.

• Q4 earnings of $1.09 per share (adjusted) beat estimates on revenue of $105.69 billion vs. $103.59 billion expected, with growth across all three business segments.
• The company faces $20 billion in revenue headwinds for 2026, roughly half from exiting the individual exchange market and half from lower drug prices due to Trump's 'most favored nation' deals with pharmaceutical companies.
• Aetna insurance unit showed strong performance with medical benefit ratio holding at 94.8%, as Medicare Advantage business continues path toward target margins of 3% to 4% by 2028.

Apple and Google have agreed to make their mobile app stores fairer and more transparent for developers following pressure from Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA designated both companies as having 'strategic market status' in smartphones, giving it power to demand specific changes to boost competition. Nearly all smartphones in Britain run either Apple iOS or Google's Android operating systems.

• The companies committed to reviewing apps in a fair, objective and transparent way under the new agreement
• Developers will gain access to more Apple iOS features to create competing products, including for digital wallets and live translation
• Both companies defended their practices, with Apple citing 'fierce competition' and Google stating its existing developer practices were already fair

Barclays reported a 12% increase in annual profit to £9.1 billion for 2025 and announced new performance targets through 2028, focusing on its home UK market and AI-driven cost reduction. The bank raised its return on tangible equity target to greater than 14% by 2028, up from a previous 12% target for 2026, and plans to return over £15 billion in capital to shareholders.

• Profit before tax reached £9.1 billion ($12.45 billion) in 2025, up from £8.1 billion in 2024 and in line with analyst forecasts of £9 billion
• The bank announced £1 billion in cost-cutting measures and plans over £15 billion in capital returns to shareholders through 2028
• Barclays joins other UK banks like NatWest and HSBC in setting more ambitious targets as British lenders benefit from favorable interest rates and nearly two decades of post-2008 restructuring finally coming to an end

BP suspended share buybacks and reported Q4 2024 profit of $1.54 billion, meeting expectations but reflecting pressure from declining oil prices. Full-year 2024 net profit of $7.49 billion missed analyst estimates and fell from nearly $9 billion in 2023, highlighting challenges across Europe's oil and gas sector as crude prices hit multi-year lows.

• BP's Q4 underlying replacement cost profit of $1.54 billion matched expectations, but full-year profit of $7.49 billion missed the $7.58 billion consensus estimate
• The buyback suspension follows similar moves by rivals Equinor and Shell, both of which reported weaker earnings due to lower crude prices and oversupply concerns
• Oil prices reached their lowest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2024, putting pressure on Big Oil's shareholder returns and profitability

Honda Motor reported a 61.4% decline in third-quarter operating profit, marking its fourth consecutive quarterly year-on-year decrease. The Japanese automaker's profit fell to 153.4 billion yen ($987 million), missing analyst expectations, due to pressures from U.S. import tariffs and challenges in the electric vehicle market.

• Operating profit of 153.4 billion yen missed the analyst consensus of 174.5 billion yen and was significantly below the 397.3 billion yen earned in the same quarter last year
• This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year profit decline for Japan's second-largest automaker
• Key headwinds include U.S. import tariffs and shifting market conditions in the electric vehicle sector

Kering reported a smaller-than-expected 3% decline in Q4 sales, with flagship brand Gucci down 10% (better than the forecasted 12% drop). New CEO Luca de Meo described the recovery as 'fragile but real' as he works to stabilize the luxury group facing high debt, reduced profitability, and investor scrutiny following years of declining sales.

• Kering's annual operating income fell to 1.63 billion euros, less than one-third of its 2022 level, with operating profit margins dropping from 28% to 11% group-wide and from 36% to 16% at Gucci over three years
• CEO de Meo sold Kering's beauty business to L'Oréal for 4 billion euros to address debt problems, with net debt now standing at 8 billion euros plus 5 billion euros in long-term lease liabilities
• The company reduced its store network by 75 boutiques with more closures planned, while Gucci saw improvement in 'almost all regions' helped by new product introductions and handbag sales