Trending Market News

SoftBank Group disclosed it completely exited its stake in Nvidia during Q4 2025, according to its 13-F SEC filing. The news caused Nvidia's stock to drop as much as 1.6%, trading at $179.88. The filing compares holdings as of December 31, 2025 versus September 30, 2025, though it does not reflect any position changes made in Q1.

• SoftBank fully dissolved its Nvidia position between September 30 and December 31, 2025, as revealed in mandatory quarterly 13-F filing
• Nvidia shares fell 1.6% following the disclosure, trading at $179.88 on Tuesday morning
• The filing has a 45-day lag and does not capture any trades or position changes that may have occurred in the current quarter

Germany's IG Metall union filed a criminal complaint against Tesla's Berlin factory manager Andre Thierig, accusing him of spreading false allegations and defamation. The dispute stems from Tesla's criminal complaint last week against a union member for allegedly secretly recording a works council meeting. The escalating legal conflict highlights deteriorating relations between the union and the U.S. automaker over workers' participation rights.

• IG Metall is seeking a temporary injunction to prohibit Thierig from making further allegations and is preparing a lawsuit against Tesla for obstruction of union activities
• The conflict originates from Tesla's criminal complaint against an IG Metall member for allegedly recording a works council meeting at the Berlin-area plant
• Union representative Jan Otto stated that legal action is not their preferred method but necessary when a company 'fights workers' participation and union work so aggressively'

Ford is investing $5 billion in next-generation electric vehicles featuring 48-volt electrical architecture, a technology Tesla pioneered with the Cybertruck. The new system will debut in a $30,000 small electric pickup truck in 2027 and aims to reduce EV costs to levels comparable with gas-powered vehicles. Ford expects this technology to help it compete against Tesla and Chinese automakers in global markets.

• The 48-volt system reduces wiring by over 4,000 feet and 22 pounds compared to Ford's first-gen electric SUV, improving efficiency and allowing additional electrical bandwidth
• Ford's new EV platform will reduce parts by 20%, use 25% fewer fasteners, require 40% fewer workstations, and enable 15% faster assembly time
• The automaker is also adopting Tesla-pioneered gigacasting technology, replacing 146 structural components in current models with just two large cast parts in the new pickup

Bayer is planning a $10.5 billion settlement to resolve current and future cancer lawsuits related to its Roundup weedkiller, according to Bloomberg. The settlement includes $7.5 billion for a class-action case covering claims over a 20-year period and $3 billion for existing U.S. cases. This comes after Bayer already paid $10 billion to settle most Roundup lawsuits pending as of 2020, but new cases have continued to emerge.

• $7.5 billion proposed class-action settlement through Missouri state court aims to cover both filed cases and potential claims over a 20-year period
• $3 billion designated for existing U.S. cases where plaintiffs claim Roundup caused non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other cancers
• New lawsuits have continued since 2020 despite Bayer's previous $10 billion settlement, as the company failed to secure a deal covering future cases

Several European nations are independently cracking down on social media companies over child safety concerns, particularly AI-generated sexual content and adolescent addiction, despite risks of diplomatic tensions with the U.S. These national actions reflect frustration with the pace of EU enforcement under the Digital Services Act, though individual countries face similar legal and diplomatic challenges as Brussels.

• Spain, Britain, and Ireland have launched investigations into Meta, X, and TikTok over AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery and data privacy violations
• Six European countries (France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Czech Republic) are pursuing social media bans for adolescents, with Germany and Britain considering similar moves
• U.S. President Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions against European tech regulation, while the EU's Digital Services Act allows fines up to 6% of global revenue for non-compliance

Raspberry Pi's stock surged 42% in a two-day rally after CEO Eben Upton purchased approximately 13,224 pounds worth of shares in the company. The jump followed months of decline and was fueled by social media speculation that demand for its low-cost single-board computers could increase for running AI agents like OpenClaw.

• The stock had previously fallen below its 280-pence IPO price earlier in February, but the rally brought gains to the roughly $800 million company
• Social media users claimed buyers are hoarding Raspberry Pi devices as cheaper alternatives to '$500-plus Apple products' for AI projects
• In January, the company projected 2025 core earnings ahead of expectations but warned of uncertainty in 2026 due to memory supply and pricing volatility

Iran partially closed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, citing security precautions during Revolutionary Guards military drills, as the U.S. and Iran hold nuclear talks in Geneva. The strait is a critical oil chokepoint through which about 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transit, representing roughly 31% of global seaborne crude flows.

• The temporary closure marks the first time Iran has shut parts of the strait since U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action in January
• About 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, accounting for 31% of global seaborne crude flows according to Kpler data
• Oil prices rose slightly on the news, with Brent crude up 0.1% to $68.71 per barrel and U.S. WTI futures up 1.4% to $63.82

Ocular Therapeutix announced that its experimental eye drug Axpaxli outperformed Regeneron's approved treatment Eylea in a late-stage trial for wet age-related macular degeneration, marking the first time an investigational drug has shown superior results to an approved treatment in an FDA-standard trial. The disease affects about 1.7 million Americans and is a leading cause of blindness among the elderly.

• 74% of patients receiving Axpaxli maintained vision at 36 weeks versus 56% with Eylea; after one year, nearly 66% of Axpaxli patients maintained vision compared to less than half on Eylea
• The trial enrolled 344 newly diagnosed wet AMD patients and demonstrated better fluid control in the eye, with many Axpaxli patients not requiring additional rescue injections for almost a year
• Ocular Therapeutix plans to discuss the data with the FDA and submit a marketing application based on these results

Medtronic exceeded Wall Street's third-quarter profit expectations, driven by strong demand for heart devices and diabetes monitors. The company reported revenue of $9.02 billion versus estimates of $8.91 billion, with adjusted earnings of $1.36 per share. Growth was fueled by surging demand for medical procedures as patients increasingly utilize healthcare services.

• Cardiovascular segment sales jumped 13.8% to $3.46 billion, representing nearly 40% of total sales, led by pulsed field ablation systems and transcatheter aortic valve replacement devices
• The company benefited from broader medtech industry trends including higher medical loss ratios among insurers, indicating increased patient procedure utilization and wider physician adoption of new technologies
• Medtronic competes with Abbott and Dexcom in the expanding continuous glucose monitoring market, where finger prick-free technologies are seeing rapid patient adoption

Compass Pathways announced on Tuesday that its psilocybin-based therapy for depression successfully met the primary endpoint in a late-stage clinical trial. This marks a significant milestone for the drug developer in bringing psychedelic-based mental health treatments closer to potential regulatory approval and commercialization.

• The therapy is based on psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, representing an emerging class of depression treatments
• The successful late-stage study outcome positions Compass Pathways closer to potential FDA approval and market entry
• This development contributes to growing evidence supporting psychedelic compounds as viable options for treating mental health conditions

Guyana's oil sector expansion prospects have improved following the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which has eased territorial tensions between the two nations. The development could enable Exxon Mobil and its partners to resume exploration in disputed areas of the prolific Stabroek Block that were previously halted. Industry leaders are gathering at Guyana's Energy Conference to discuss investment opportunities as the country maintains its position as one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

• Exxon-led consortium had halted exploration in about 30% of the Stabroek Block due to Venezuela border dispute; political détente may lift the force majeure on these disputed waters
• Guyana's oil production capacity reached over 900,000 barrels per day in 2025, with plans to increase to 1.15 million bpd through new projects this year
• Chevron believes recoverable resources in Guyana could exceed the current estimate of 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent, signaling strong interest in additional exploration

U.S. Treasury yields declined on Tuesday as investors awaited delayed economic data releases during a holiday-shortened week following Presidents' Day. The 10-year yield dropped over 3 basis points to 4.02%, while the 30-year yield fell to 4.66%, as markets prepared for key reports including December's PCE inflation data.

• The 10-year Treasury yield fell 3 basis points to 4.02%, and the 30-year bond yield dropped 3 basis points to 4.66%
• Investors are expecting critical delayed economic data including November and December housing data and December's PCE index (the Fed's preferred inflation gauge) on Friday
• Markets are pricing in a 90% probability that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged in the 3.50%-3.75% range at the next meeting

US healthcare manufacturer Danaher is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire medical technology company Masimo for approximately $10 billion, according to the Financial Times. The acquisition, which has not been independently verified by Reuters, would represent a major consolidation in the medical technology sector.

• The deal is valued at nearly $10 billion, making it a significant healthcare sector acquisition
• Danaher is a US-based healthcare manufacturer looking to expand its medical technology portfolio
• The report comes from unnamed sources and has not been officially confirmed by either company

Goldman Sachs is preparing to remove race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other diversity-related factors from its board candidate assessment criteria, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move follows pressure from the Trump administration's campaign against DEI practices and a request from a conservative activist group. This decision aligns Goldman with other major financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Citi that have recently softened their diversity commitments.

• Goldman's board governance committee will remove references to demographic factors including race, gender identity, ethnicity, and sexual orientation while retaining broader diversity criteria like viewpoints and professional experience
• The bank previously eliminated its 'diversity and inclusion' section from annual filings and ended its 2020 policy requiring companies to have at least two diverse board members before receiving IPO advisory services
• The change follows pressure from President Trump's administration and a request from the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative activist nonprofit organization

TikTok's U.S. user base has stabilized following initial turbulence after its joint venture launch on January 23, with daily active users remaining at approximately 95% of pre-deal levels. Early concerns about mass user exodus due to censorship fears and service outages appear overstated, as engagement metrics have largely returned to normal. The joint venture, mandated by U.S. presidential order, transferred majority control from ByteDance to Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, each holding 15% stakes.

• Average daily usage rebounded to 80 minutes after briefly dropping to 77 minutes during the week of reported disruptions, while app deletions spiked temporarily but quickly tapered off
• Alternative platforms like UpScrolled saw initial surge of 770% in downloads but fell 80% the following week, while TikTok maintained steady download levels around 800,000-870,000 weekly
• New terms allow TikTok to collect precise location data and AI interaction information, raising concerns about potential algorithmic manipulation, though analysts found no evidence of meaningful content changes

A consortium led by Macquarie's asset management arm has signed a buyout agreement for Australian logistics firm Qube Holdings, valuing the company at A$11.7 billion ($8.26 billion). The scheme implementation agreement was announced on Monday, representing a major acquisition in Australia's logistics sector.

• The deal values Qube Holdings at A$11.7 billion ($8.26 billion USD)
• Macquarie's asset management division is leading the consortium acquiring the Australian logistics company
• A scheme implementation agreement has been formally signed between the parties

Warner Bros Discovery is considering reopening merger talks with Paramount Skydance after receiving an amended hostile takeover offer, according to Bloomberg News. The Warner Bros board is evaluating whether Paramount could provide a better deal than the current hostile bid. Paramount sweetened its offer last week, though it did not increase the per-share price.

• Warner Bros board members are discussing whether Paramount could offer a path to a 'superior deal' compared to the hostile suitor's proposal
• Paramount amended its Warner Bros bid last week by adding provisions, though the per-share offer price was not increased
• The discussions represent a potential reversal after previous sale talks between the two major Hollywood studios

Uber is expanding its food delivery business into seven new European countries in 2025, intensifying competition in the multibillion-euro food delivery market. The move reflects increased efforts by major tech companies to capture market share in Europe's growing delivery sector.

• Expansion targets seven new European markets, broadening Uber's geographic footprint in the region
• The initiative is part of broader competition among tech groups in Europe's multibillion-euro food delivery industry
• The expansion was reported by the Financial Times and announced in February 2025

Bank of America approved $41 million in total compensation for CEO Brian Moynihan for 2025, representing a 17.1% increase from his $35 million compensation in 2024. The raise aligns with similar pay hikes at rival banks including Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase as Wall Street anticipates strong dealmaking activity ahead.

• Moynihan's compensation includes $1.5 million base salary with the remainder in equity incentives
• The 65-year-old CEO has led Bank of America since 2010, making him one of the industry's longest-serving leaders after steering the bank's recovery from the 2008 financial crisis
• The pay increase follows a broader trend among major Wall Street banks preparing for an expected bumper year in dealmaking while managing complex relationships with Washington

Lowe's is eliminating approximately 600 corporate and support roles, representing less than 1% of its total workforce, to reallocate resources toward frontline store employees. The move aligns with recent cost-cutting trends among major U.S. retailers, including Target and Home Depot, which have also reduced corporate staff to prioritize in-store operations. Affected employees will receive financial assistance, temporary benefits, and career transition support.

• The job cuts represent less than 1% of Lowe's total workforce, with the company stating the move will 'better align resources to support stores and associates who serve customers every day'
• Target recently eliminated around 1,800 corporate roles under new CEO Michael Fiddelke to fund more hours for frontline store employees, marking the company's first major layoff in about a decade
• Rival Home Depot cut 800 jobs at its Atlanta support center in late January and mandated corporate employees return to the office five days a week