Trending Market News

President Donald Trump announced he will not permit defense companies to issue dividends or conduct stock buybacks until they address his complaints about the industry. Trump also criticized executive pay packages at defense contractors, calling them 'exorbitant and unjustifiable' given slow equipment delivery to the military and allies. The binding force and implementation mechanism of this announcement remain unclear.

• Trump made the announcement via Truth Social, targeting major defense contractors' financial activities including dividends and stock buybacks
• The president cited slow delivery of vital military equipment to U.S. forces and allies as justification for the restrictions
• The White House did not immediately clarify what legal authority or enforcement mechanism would be used to implement the restrictions

Anthropic, the AI company founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives, has signed a term sheet for a $10 billion funding round at a $350 billion valuation. Coatue and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC are leading the financing. This comes as Anthropic competes with rivals like OpenAI, which recently reached a $500 billion valuation.

• The funding round values Anthropic at $350 billion, significantly below OpenAI's $500 billion valuation
• Amazon has invested billions into Anthropic, while Google and Alphabet previously announced plans to invest up to $5 billion and $10 billion respectively
• Anthropic is known for its Claude family of large language models and was founded by former OpenAI research executives including CEO Dario Amodei

President Donald Trump announced plans to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes in an effort to reduce home prices. Trump stated he will ask Congress to codify the measure and plans to discuss additional housing affordability proposals at the Davos World Economic Forum, emphasizing that 'People live in homes, not corporations.'

• The ban targets Wall Street and large institutional investors currently active in the single-family home market
• Trump will seek Congressional action to formally codify the prohibition into law
• Additional housing and affordability proposals are expected to be unveiled at the upcoming Davos World Economic Forum

Ticketmaster is seeking dismissal of an FTC lawsuit that accuses it of working with resellers to overcharge consumers, arguing the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act applies only to resellers, not ticketing platforms. The FTC and seven states allege Ticketmaster ignored brokers' violations of ticket purchasing limits, generating $3.7 billion in resale fees between 2019 and 2024. The case comes as Ticketmaster, which controls up to 80% of major concert ticketing, faces a separate DOJ antitrust trial in March.

• Ticketmaster argues the 2016 BOTS Act was designed to help ticket issuers combat abusive resale practices and does not hold platforms liable for resellers' actions
• The FTC lawsuit claims Ticketmaster has known since 2018 that resellers illegally violate ticket limit policies but allowed it to continue to earn $3.7 billion in fees
• Ticketmaster controls up to 80% of concert ticketing for major venues and faces a separate DOJ monopolization trial scheduled for March 2026

Dow Jones has signed an exclusive deal with Polymarket to integrate real-time prediction market data into The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and MarketWatch. The partnership will include features like a custom earnings calendar with market-implied expectations for corporate performance. Financial terms were not disclosed, though Polymarket was reportedly seeking a $12-15 billion valuation in October fundraising discussions.

• Polymarket is the world's largest prediction market platform where users bet with cryptocurrency on real-world events across sports, entertainment, politics, and the economy
• Prediction market platforms have seen surging institutional interest since the 2024 presidential election, with CNBC recently partnering with rival platform Kalshi
• Polymarket data will appear in dedicated modules on Dow Jones digital properties and select print placements, providing users real-time insight into collective beliefs about future events

The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed it provided operational support to the United States in seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic. The operation targeted the Bella-1 (now renamed Marinera), a vessel sanctioned by the U.S. for connections to Russian and Iranian sanctions evasion networks. Britain's support included basing facilities, a military vessel, and RAF surveillance.

• UK armed forces provided pre-planned operational support including military vessel assistance and Royal Air Force surveillance following a U.S. request
• The seized tanker, Bella-1 (renamed Marinera), is sanctioned under U.S. counter-Iran sanctions and linked to Russian and Iranian sanctions evasion networks
• Defence Secretary John Healey characterized the operation as part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting, conducted in full compliance with international law

Dutch chip equipment maker ASML denied claims circulating on social media that the company had been hacked. Following a thorough investigation of allegations posted on BreachForums on January 6, 2026, ASML concluded the claims were unfounded and no company data was exposed.

• The hacking allegations were posted on BreachForums, a known platform for sharing breach information, on January 6, 2026
• ASML conducted a thorough investigation and found no evidence that any company data was compromised or exposed
• The denial comes as cybersecurity incidents continue to affect major companies, with other firms recently reporting actual breaches and cyber incidents

Nestle has expanded its recall of infant formula products to at least 37 countries including China, Brazil, and most European states due to possible contamination with cereulide, a toxin causing nausea and vomiting. The recall affects over 800 products from more than 10 factories across brands including SMA, BEBA, NAN, and Alfamino, with Austria's health ministry calling it Nestle's largest recall in history.

• No illnesses have been confirmed yet, and the recall is described as preventative after the toxin was detected in products originating from manufacturing sites in the Netherlands and Switzerland
• The contamination stems from a quality issue in arachidonic acid oil from a leading supplier; Nestle is now activating alternative suppliers to maintain production
• The crisis adds pressure on new CEO Philipp Navratil who is working to revive growth at the company behind KitKat and Nescafe brands

Spotify is expanding its creator monetization program by lowering eligibility thresholds and introducing new tools for video podcasters, as it competes with YouTube and Netflix in the growing video podcast market. The company announced it has invested over $10 billion in the podcast industry over the past five years. New features include reduced entry requirements, sponsorship management tools launching in April, and Spotify Sycamore Studios for creator production facilities.

• Eligibility requirements lowered to 1,000 engaged audience members and 2,000 hours consumed (down from 2,000 listeners and 10,000 hours), making monetization accessible to more creators
• Monthly video podcast consumption on Spotify has nearly doubled since launching the program, with users streaming twice as many video shows per month
• Creators can now monetize through third-party platforms via new API integration with Acast, Audioboom, and Libsyn, while video creators receive direct payments from Spotify premium subscribers

Alaska Airlines announced its largest-ever aircraft order, purchasing 105 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets and five 787-10 Dreamliners to secure delivery slots through the mid-2030s. This marks Alaska's first major Boeing order since a door plug panel blew out of one of its 737 Max 9 planes in January 2024. The deal demonstrates confidence in Boeing's turnaround efforts, though the Max 10 remains uncertified and years behind schedule.

• The order includes 105 Max 10 jets (not yet FAA-certified, expected 2027 deliveries) and 5 Dreamliners, with 53 new aircraft and 52 from exercised options, plus 35 additional options
• Alaska expects FAA certification of the Max 10 in 2025, with about half the planes designated for fleet replacement and half for growth expansion
• The purchase follows the January 5, 2024 door plug blowout incident on an Alaska Max 9, which occurred because Boeing delivered the aircraft without key bolts installed

Joby Aviation purchased a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio, more than doubling its manufacturing footprint as it prepares to scale production of electric air taxis. The expansion supports the company's goal to increase production capacity to four aircraft per month by 2027 while pursuing FAA certification for commercial operations in 2026.

• The new Ohio facility is Joby's third manufacturing location and second in Ohio, more than doubling the company's total manufacturing footprint
• Joby plans to double production capacity to four eVTOL aircraft per month by 2027, supported by $500 million in funding from Toyota
• Electric air taxi companies including Joby are racing for FAA certification in 2026 to begin commercial operations with airlines, government entities, and defense partners

U.S. private sector job creation turned positive in December with 41,000 new hires, according to ADP, slightly missing the consensus estimate of 48,000. This marks a reversal from November's loss of 29,000 jobs, though the labor market showed continued weakness as 2025 began with gains concentrated in small businesses and service sectors.

• All job growth came from services industries (education/health added 39,000, leisure/hospitality added 24,000) while goods-producing sectors lost 3,000 jobs including 5,000 in manufacturing
• Small and mid-sized companies (under 500 workers) drove nearly all hiring while large employers added only 2,000 positions
• Wage growth remained moderate at 4.4% annually for job stayers and 6.6% for job changers, with official BLS employment data expected Friday showing 73,000 total new jobs

U.S. online holiday spending reached a record $257.8 billion from November 1 through December 31, 2025, according to Adobe Analytics, representing 6.8% growth. However, this marked a slowdown compared to the prior year's holiday season growth, as inflation and economic uncertainty made consumers more cautious about discretionary purchases.

• Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services accounted for $20 billion in online spending, up 9.8% year-over-year, as flexible payment options helped attract budget-conscious shoppers
• Smartphones represented 56.4% of online shopping transactions, up from 54.5% the previous year, while AI-powered shopping assistants saw a 693.4% jump in traffic
• Steep discounts drove demand for higher-ticket items like electronics, sporting goods, and appliances, with spending exceeding Adobe's forecast of $253.4 billion

JPMorgan Chase's asset-management unit has severed all relationships with proxy advisory firms, effective immediately, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing an internal memo. The bank has not yet confirmed the report, and Reuters could not independently verify the information.

• The decision affects JPMorgan's asset-management division, which manages investments on behalf of clients
• Proxy advisory firms typically provide voting recommendations to institutional investors on corporate governance matters and shareholder proposals
• JPMorgan has not publicly commented on the reasons behind ending these advisory relationships

Warner Bros. Discovery's board has unanimously rejected Paramount Skydance's hostile takeover bid for the second time, reaffirming its commitment to sell its streaming and studio business to Netflix instead. Paramount, backed by billionaire Larry Ellison, has been seeking to acquire all of WBD including its pay TV networks, but the board deemed the offer 'inferior' to the Netflix deal.

• Paramount Skydance guaranteed backing from billionaire Larry Ellison but did not increase the financial terms of its bid despite WBD board's explicit instructions for improvements
• WBD's board cited 'many deficiencies' in Paramount's offer that are not present in the Netflix merger agreement, while Paramount has indicated its proposals are not yet 'best and final'
• Paramount first expressed interest in acquiring WBD in September and has made multiple offers both before and during the formal sale process

Qualcomm is in discussions with Samsung Electronics regarding contract manufacturing of advanced two-nanometre chips, according to Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. The talks represent a potential boost for Samsung's struggling foundry business, which recently secured major supply deals including one with Tesla in July 2025.

• Qualcomm has completed design work for the 2nm chips and is prioritizing talks with Samsung among several semiconductor foundry firms for commercialization in the near future
• Samsung's foundry business has been loss-making but recently signed supply deals with major customers, including a Tesla agreement in July 2025
• Neither company provided official confirmation, with Qualcomm unavailable for comment and Samsung declining to discuss specific customers

Samsung Electronics announced it will repurchase 2.5 trillion won ($1.73 billion) worth of its own shares to use for employee compensation purposes. The South Korean tech giant made the announcement on Wednesday, representing a significant capital allocation decision aimed at internal workforce incentives.

• The share buyback totals 2.5 trillion won, equivalent to approximately $1.73 billion at current exchange rates
• The repurchased shares will be specifically designated for employee compensation rather than cancellation
• This move signals Samsung's strategy to retain and incentivize talent through equity-based compensation programs

GSK announced that its experimental hepatitis B treatment successfully met primary endpoints in two key clinical studies. The positive results represent significant progress toward developing a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B infection, a condition that affects millions globally.

• The drug met main goals in two closely watched clinical trials, marking a major milestone in GSK's development program
• Success brings GSK closer to providing a 'functional cure' for chronic hepatitis B patients, addressing a significant unmet medical need
• The announcement positions GSK competitively in the hepatitis B treatment space, which currently lacks curative therapies

Telecom Italia (TIM) and Fastweb, Swisscom's Italian unit, announced a preliminary agreement on January 7 to share mobile radio access networks across Italy to accelerate 5G infrastructure deployment. The deal allows both operators to use each other's infrastructure, avoiding duplication and extending coverage to underserved areas. A final contract is expected in the second quarter of this year.

• The network-sharing model enables each operator to access the other's mobile radio infrastructure in designated areas, eliminating redundant buildouts
• The partnership aims to extend high-performing 5G coverage to underserved regions using a sharing approach already adopted in other European countries
• A final contract between TIM and Fastweb is anticipated to be signed in Q2 of this year

Chinese officials are reviewing Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus for potential technology control violations, according to a Financial Times report citing sources familiar with the matter. The review signals increased scrutiny of major tech deals involving artificial intelligence assets. Reuters has not independently verified the report.

• The acquisition is valued at $2 billion and involves AI startup Manus
• Chinese authorities are examining the deal for possible technology control violations
• The review reflects growing regulatory attention on AI-related acquisitions by major tech companies