Trending Market News

Apple has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli AI startup focused on audio technology, though no purchase price was disclosed. The acquisition reunites Apple with CEO Aviad Maizels, who previously sold PrimeSense to Apple in 2013. The deal comes as investors pressure Apple to make significant AI investments to compete with its megacap peers.

• Q.ai was backed by GV (Google Ventures), Kleiner Perkins, and Spark Capital, and worked on 'communication enhancement technology' that could enhance Apple's AirPods AI capabilities
• Aviad Maizels previously sold PrimeSense to Apple in 2013, which developed technology later integrated into Apple's Face ID sensor starting in 2017
• The acquisition follows investor pressure on Apple to make major AI deals, as the company's recent AI products like iPhone app controls have faced criticism while competitors invest heavily in AI infrastructure

U.S. Representative Robert Garcia requested communications records from oil traders Vitol and Trafigura regarding their dealings with the Trump administration following the U.S. capture of Venezuela's President Maduro. The inquiry seeks to determine who benefits from the Trump administration's decision to manage Venezuela's oil sales indefinitely, with both companies having obtained the first U.S. licenses to export Venezuelan oil.

• Garcia requested all communications between Vitol CEO Russell Hardy and Trafigura CEO Richard Holtum with Trump administration officials from January of the previous year to present
• U.S. forces captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month, with the Trump administration taking control of the country's oil sales indefinitely
• A dozen House Democrats previously sent letters to 21 companies, including Vitol and Trafigura, who attended a January 9 White House meeting about Venezuelan oil development, warning of legal and financial risks

President Trump announced that Eli Lilly plans to build six manufacturing plants in the United States following a conversation with the company's CEO. Lilly has previously disclosed plans to invest at least $27 billion in four U.S. plants to expand production and strengthen medical supply chains, with three locations already announced in Alabama, Virginia, and Texas.

• Eli Lilly committed to investing at least $27 billion in U.S. manufacturing expansion
• The company has publicly announced three plant locations so far (Alabama, Virginia, Texas), while Trump referenced six total plants
• The investment aims to expand pharmaceutical production capacity and bolster domestic medical supply chains

Danone has recalled at least three batches of its Aptamil baby formula in Germany produced between May and August 2025, according to a letter to wholesaler Alliance Healthcare dated January 26. The recall is part of a broader baby formula contamination scare involving toxins that initially began with Nestle products.

• The recall affects Aptamil batches produced during a four-month window from May to August 2025
• Danone Deutschland told wholesaler Alliance Healthcare that remaining stock should be minimal due to subsequent deliveries of new products
• The action is linked to a wider toxin contamination issue that originated with Nestle baby formula products

American Airlines announced plans to resume daily flights to Venezuela pending government approval, following President Trump's directive to lift flight restrictions. The carrier suspended service in 2019 after the U.S. barred flights, but Trump has now asked the Transportation Department to remove these restrictions weeks after a U.S. military operation that seized Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro.

• American Airlines suspended Venezuela service in 2019 when the U.S. government implemented flight restrictions
• The resumption is contingent on government approval and security assessments following recent U.S. military action in Venezuela
• President Trump has requested the Transportation Department lift current restrictions barring U.S. flights to Venezuela

Apple reports fiscal first-quarter earnings Thursday after market close, with Wall Street expecting $2.67 EPS and $138.48 billion revenue. The company previously guided to 10-12% revenue growth and similar double-digit iPhone growth, but the stock has fallen 11% since its December peak. Analysts will focus on how rising memory and storage component costs driven by AI demand may impact margins.

• Apple guided to $136.73-$139.22 billion in revenue for the quarter, the first full period of iPhone 17 sales, leading analysts to expect a beat despite recent stock weakness
• Rising memory and storage costs due to AI-driven chip shortages pose margin risks, though Morgan Stanley believes the impact won't hit until later in fiscal 2026 as consensus estimates haven't adjusted for higher operating expenses
• CEO Tim Cook faces questions on AI strategy after Apple replaced some internal AI models with Google's Gemini for Apple Intelligence, while analysts note AI monetization remains challenging and rising memory prices may make edge AI applications harder to justify financially

Airbus is preparing to launch a sales campaign for a larger A220-500 regional jet with roughly 180 seats, aiming to secure enough orders to justify development later in 2025. The aircraft manufacturer told financiers that 2026 would be a 'big year' for the A220 program, with a potential launch announcement expected as early as the Farnborough Airshow in July.

• The A220-500 would be a 'simple stretch' design accommodating approximately 180 seats, larger than current A220 variants
• Airbus is actively engaging airlines and leasing firms to gather commitments before seeking board approval for the development program
• Any formal launch decision remains contingent on sufficient order interest and final approval from the Airbus board

Starbucks is reintroducing a tiered loyalty program starting March 10, replacing its current flat structure with three levels (green, gold, and reserve) to better reward frequent visitors. The move aims to encourage more customer visits as part of the company's turnaround strategy, with the Rewards program currently accounting for 60% of Starbucks' revenue in fiscal 2025.

• The three-tier system will reward top customers who visit up to 200 times yearly differently than occasional visitors, with reserve tier members (2,500+ stars annually) earning 1.7 points per dollar versus 1.2 for gold tier (500+ stars)
• Starbucks eliminated its two-tiered system in 2019 to engage new members, but now believes the flat structure failed to appropriately reward the company's most loyal customers
• The company reported its first quarterly traffic growth from both Rewards members and non-members in nearly four years, signaling early momentum in its broader turnaround efforts

Mastercard reported higher fourth-quarter profit driven by strong transaction volumes as consumer spending remained resilient despite economic uncertainty. Net revenue climbed 17.6% to $8.81 billion, with gross dollar volume rising 7% and cross-border transactions up 14%, reflecting sustained demand for travel and retail spending.

• Net income rose to $4.06 billion, or $4.52 per share, as holiday shoppers locked in deals to stretch discretionary budgets amid tariff-fueled uncertainty
• Cross-border volume increased 14%, indicating strong appetite for travel and leisure spending despite concerns over Trump's trade policies and sticky inflation
• Value-added services segment (fraud protection, cybersecurity tools) grew 26%, outpacing core network growth as Mastercard pushes higher-margin product diversification

Thermo Fisher Scientific exceeded Wall Street's fourth-quarter profit and revenue estimates, driven by strong demand from pharmaceutical clients for drug development tools and services. The company posted quarterly revenue of $12.22 billion, beating the $11.95 billion estimate, as life sciences firms benefit from improving pharma market conditions and reduced policy uncertainty despite continued weakness in academic research funding.

• Quarterly revenue reached $12.22 billion, surpassing analyst estimates of $11.95 billion
• Life sciences solutions segment grew 13% to $2.95 billion, reflecting strong demand for drug discovery and manufacturing products
• The company earned $6.57 per share on an adjusted basis, with rival Danaher also posting better-than-expected results, indicating broader industry strength

Eli Lilly has entered a partnership with Repertoire Immune Medicines worth up to $1.93 billion to develop therapies for multiple autoimmune diseases. The deal includes $85 million upfront and up to $1.84 billion in milestone payments plus royalties, giving Lilly access to Repertoire's Decode platform for T-cell therapy development. This expansion continues Lilly's strategy to diversify beyond its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drugs.

• Repertoire will receive $85 million upfront plus up to $1.84 billion in development and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on net sales
• The collaboration aims to develop treatments that restore immune function and achieve durable remission without generalized immune suppression common in current therapies
• Lilly continues aggressive immunology expansion following its $3.2 billion Morphic Holding acquisition in 2024, seeking growth beyond Zepbound and Mounjaro blockbusters

Dow announced plans to cut approximately 4,500 jobs as part of a major restructuring aimed at increasing profitability by at least $2 billion. The chemicals maker is responding to persistent weak demand, rising production costs in Europe, and stricter environmental regulations affecting the global chemical industry. The company expects to incur $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion in one-time restructuring costs during 2026 and 2027.

• The job cuts are part of a sweeping restructuring targeting $2 billion in profit improvements amid industrywide structural pressures
• Dow is conducting a strategic review of European assets and reevaluating ownership of non-product producing assets like power plants and pipelines globally
• One-time restructuring costs are estimated at $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion spread across 2026 and 2027

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne announced the company is on track to begin LNG deliveries from its Mozambique project in 2029, marking the resumption of operations nearly five years after the project was halted due to a deadly Islamist militant attack. The company plans a massive ramp-up of activity in Mozambique over the coming months.

• The LNG project was suspended for nearly five years following a deadly attack by Islamist militants
• TotalEnergies will provide financial aid to Mozambique following recent deadly floods in the country
• A major increase in project activity is expected in Mozambique in the coming months as operations accelerate toward the 2029 delivery target

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation after a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school on January 23, causing minor injuries. The incident occurred during school drop-off hours when the child ran from behind a double-parked SUV into the autonomous vehicle's path. NHTSA is examining whether Waymo exercised appropriate caution in a school zone with vulnerable pedestrians present.

• The Waymo vehicle reduced speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before impact, while Waymo's modeling suggests a human driver would have made contact at 14 mph
• NHTSA will investigate Waymo's behavior in school zones, adherence to speed limits during pick-up/drop-off times, and post-impact response protocols
• This follows a separate NTSB investigation into Waymo robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas at least 19 times since the school year began, despite a December software recall addressing the issue

German software giant SAP experienced its largest single-day stock decline since October 2020, plunging as much as 11% on Thursday after reporting weaker-than-expected growth in its cloud contract backlog. The company's current cloud backlog rose only 16% in Q4 to 21.1 billion euros, disappointing investors and sending shares toward their lowest price since mid-2024.

• SAP's stock dropped 11%, marking the biggest daily fall since October 2020 when shares plummeted 22% following disappointing Q3 results
• The company's current cloud backlog grew 16% year-over-year to 21.1 billion euros in Q4, below market expectations
• Shares are on track to close at their lowest price level since mid-2024, signaling significant investor concern about cloud business momentum

Lloyds Banking Group reported a 12% increase in annual profit to 6.7 billion pounds for 2025, surpassing analyst expectations despite absorbing nearly 1 billion pounds in motor finance mis-selling charges. The UK's largest mortgage lender raised its 2026 profitability target and announced a 1.75 billion pound share buyback, demonstrating the banking sector's resilience amid falling interest rates.

• Pre-tax profit reached 6.7 billion pounds, beating the 6.4 billion pound analyst consensus, driven by increased income and fee growth
• Return on tangible equity target for 2026 raised to greater than 16%, up from the 12% forecast for 2025
• The bank absorbed approximately 1 billion pounds in compensation charges for the motor finance scandal involving undisclosed customer commissions

Chinese robovan developer Zelostech announced that Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, will take a non-controlling stake in the company, creating a venture valued at approximately $2 billion. The deal involves Cainiao contributing its autonomous-driving business and making a cash investment, with both companies integrating to build what they call a 'RoboVan Super Carrier' in the unmanned freight sector.

• Cainiao will contribute its autonomous-driving unit and cash to Zelostech but will not become a controlling shareholder in the combined entity
• Zelostech's Z10 robovan is a fully autonomous electric vehicle capable of transporting approximately 1.5 tonnes of freight
• The merged operation will run both the Zelostech and Cainiao autonomous-driving brands simultaneously as part of their strategic integration

Deutsche Bank reported record fourth quarter 2025 profits that exceeded analyst expectations, with group revenues of 7.73 billion euros matching estimates. The strong results came as German authorities searched the bank's offices as part of a money laundering investigation.

• Group revenues reached 7.73 billion euros for Q4, in line with the 7.72 billion euro LSEG estimate
• CET 1 capital ratio stood at 14.2%, down slightly from 14.5% in Q3 but up from 13.8% in Q4 2024
• Credit impairment totaled 395 million euros, better than the 408.3 million euro analyst forecast and down from 417 million euros in Q3

Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC has partnered with Sony Music Group to acquire music catalog assets, combining Sony's operational expertise with GIC's long-term capital. Bloomberg reported the investment vehicle could total $2 billion to $3 billion, though the parties did not confirm an amount. The deal reflects growing institutional investment in music assets as a alternative asset class.

• The partnership joins a broader trend of institutional capital flowing into music assets, following Warner Music Group's $1.2 billion catalog purchase vehicle with Bain Capital in July 2024
• Sony Music previously partnered with Apollo Global Management in 2024 for a $700 million investment focused on 'high grade' alternative assets
• The deal aims to capitalize on streaming monetization opportunities through premiumization, though specific catalog targets were not disclosed

U.S. software maker Anaplan plans to file confidentially for an IPO in the coming weeks, nearly four years after private equity firm Thoma Bravo took the company private in a $10.4 billion deal in 2022. The move signals Thoma Bravo's continued strategy of taking portfolio companies public, though specific valuation targets and fundraising amounts remain undisclosed.

• Anaplan was originally taken public in 2018 before Thoma Bravo acquired it for $10.4 billion in 2022
• Thoma Bravo, which manages over $181 billion in assets, has also explored IPOs for portfolio companies Ping Identity and Proofpoint in recent months
• The IPO filing plans could still change, and no valuation or fundraising targets have been disclosed