Trending Market News

President Donald Trump is facing unprecedented pushback from within the Republican Party as his approval ratings decline ahead of midterm elections. The backlash stems from multiple controversies including the DOJ's release of Jeffrey Epstein files, a House Republican vote to overturn his Canadian tariffs, and public outcry over immigration enforcement tactics. Democrats sense momentum as polls show them favored to win control of the House.

• Six House Republicans voted to overturn Trump's tariffs on Canada, with GOP leadership unable to prevent members from publicly defying his signature economic policy despite threats of retaliation
• Senator Thom Tillis is blocking Trump's Federal Reserve nominees, including his pick to replace Chair Jerome Powell, until the DOJ drops its investigation into Powell that Republicans view as politically motivated
• Newly released Epstein files revealed ties between the sexual predator and Trump administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick who admitted visiting Epstein's island in 2012

United Airlines has disclosed a contract dispute with Rolls-Royce over engines for its 45 Airbus A350 aircraft, creating uncertainty about the long-delayed order dating back to 2009. United is demanding a $175 million refund it paid Rolls-Royce in 2017, claiming breach of contract, while Rolls-Royce denies wrongdoing. Since Rolls-Royce is the sole engine supplier for the A350, the dispute raises questions about whether United can take delivery of the jets.

• United removed delivery timelines for 45 A350s from its regulatory filing, previously expected after 2026, citing the December 2024 breach by Rolls-Royce
• The A350 order has faced 16 years of changes and deferrals since 2009, fueling speculation United may cancel or convert it to other Airbus models like the A321neo
• The dispute involves a 2010 long-term engine and maintenance contract, with both sides now claiming the other owes them money in ongoing legal proceedings

A Pennsylvania jury awarded $250,000 to the family of Gayle Emerson, who died of ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder for decades. This is the second ovarian cancer trial since J&J's latest bankruptcy attempt ended, with the company facing over 67,000 lawsuits alleging its talc products contained asbestos and caused cancer.

• The jury awarded $50,000 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages, finding J&J failed to warn consumers despite knowing the dangers of its talc-based products
• J&J faces more than 67,000 lawsuits over talc products and has attempted bankruptcy three times to resolve litigation, all rejected by federal courts, with the most recent rejection in April 2024
• A January ruling allowed federal plaintiffs to present expert testimony linking baby powder to ovarian cancer, potentially opening the door for federal trials after multiple state court cases are scheduled in coming months

SpaceX is considering implementing a dual-class share structure for its planned IPO, which could value the company at over $1.5 trillion. The structure would allow founder Elon Musk to maintain control while raising capital. SpaceX is also expanding its board of directors to oversee the IPO process and support growth beyond its core rocket and satellite business.

• The planned IPO could value SpaceX at over $1.5 trillion, making it one of the largest public offerings in history
• A dual-class share structure would give certain shareholders (likely including Musk) greater voting power than their ownership percentage, similar to structures used by companies like Meta and Alphabet
• SpaceX is adding board members to oversee the IPO process, though deliberations are ongoing and details could still change

Costco is facing a class action lawsuit alleging salmonella contamination at its Nebraska chicken processing plant, with the facility reportedly failing USDA safety standards. The lawsuit claims more than 9.8% of whole chickens and 15.4% of chicken parts tested positive for salmonella. The retailer sold over 157 million rotisserie chickens worldwide in 2025 at $4.99 each.

• The Fremont, Nebraska plant 'consistently' fails USDA standards, with salmonella found in 9.8% of whole chickens and 15.4% of chicken parts according to the complaint
• Plaintiff seeks compensatory and triple damages for customers who purchased Kirkland Signature rotisserie or raw chicken since January 1, 2019, citing violations of Washington consumer protection laws
• This is the second recent lawsuit against Costco's chicken products, following a January suit claiming false advertising over preservatives in rotisserie chickens

Microsoft and Ericsson led 15 major tech companies in launching the 'Trusted Tech Alliance' on February 13, establishing five principles for safe technology use amid rising concerns about digital sovereignty and U.S. isolationism. The initiative aims to address government concerns about data storage and reduce pressure for technology borders as nations consider regulations to decrease dependence on foreign suppliers.

• Alliance members include Anthropic, Amazon Web Services, Google, Nokia, SAP, NTT, Reliance Jio, and Cohere, spanning connectivity, cloud, semiconductors, software, and AI sectors
• Five principles cover corporate governance, ethical conduct, secure development, global supply chain security standards, and support for an open digital environment
• Companies will self-attest to adherence with provisions for independent assessments, as Microsoft and Ericsson aim to counterweight the trend of countries 'pulling apart on technology issues'

The Trump administration is expected to add Alibaba and other companies to the Pentagon's 1260H list as soon as Friday, designating them as firms allegedly supporting China's military. While the list does not impose formal sanctions, it signals to U.S. government agencies and Pentagon suppliers which Chinese companies the military views as problematic.

• The Pentagon's 1260H list serves as a warning mechanism rather than a sanctions tool, influencing procurement decisions by U.S. government agencies and defense suppliers
• Alibaba will be among multiple companies added to the list, which has previously prompted legal challenges from listed firms
• The designation reflects ongoing U.S.-China tensions over military and technology competition, though it carries no direct financial penalties

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill reached 38,220 U.S. prescriptions in its fifth week following launch, according to IQVIA data. This milestone indicates early uptake of the oral formulation of the popular weight-loss medication in the American market.

• The Wegovy pill generated 38,220 prescriptions in week five post-launch based on IQVIA tracking data
• This represents the oral pill version of Wegovy, expanding beyond the existing injectable formulation
• The prescription volume provides an early indicator of market adoption for Novo Nordisk's obesity treatment portfolio

Volkswagen reaffirmed its commitment to transforming toward more efficient and low-emission vehicles despite recent changes to U.S. climate policy under President Donald Trump. The German automaker stated it will maintain its long-term strategy regardless of political or regulatory shifts, while adapting to specific market conditions globally.

• VW pledged to continue its transformation course toward low-emission vehicles independent of political developments
• The company stated it will comply with regulatory requirements across all countries while accounting for local market conditions in strategic planning
• The statement comes as a response to Trump administration changes to U.S. climate policy

OPEC+ is leaning towards resuming oil production increases from April 2026, according to three sources, as the group prepares for peak summer demand and stronger prices driven by U.S.-Iran tensions. Eight member countries will meet March 1 to decide whether to proceed with quota increases after pausing them during the first quarter of 2026 due to weaker seasonal consumption.

• The eight OPEC+ members previously raised production quotas by about 2.9 million barrels per day (3% of global demand) from April through December 2025, then froze further increases for January-March 2026
• Brent crude is trading near $68 per barrel, close to a six-month high of $71.89 reached in January, defying earlier expectations of a supply glut suppressing prices this year
• No final decision has been made, and discussions will continue ahead of the March 1 meeting involving Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Iraq, Algeria, and Oman

The United States has granted India's Reliance Industries a general licence to purchase Venezuelan oil directly without violating sanctions. This follows the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Maduro and aims to facilitate Venezuela's oil exports while helping Reliance replace Russian crude supplies. The move aligns with President Trump's push for India to reduce Russian oil purchases and buy more from the U.S. and Venezuela.

• Reliance applied for the general licence in January and recently purchased 2 million barrels of Venezuelan oil through trader Vitol as an initial transaction
• The licence allows direct purchase of discounted Venezuelan heavy crude to replace Russian oil, supporting potential U.S.-India trade negotiations as Indian refiners cut Russian oil orders for April delivery
• Reliance operates the world's largest refining complex with 1.4 million barrels per day capacity and was a regular Venezuelan oil buyer before sanctions forced purchases to stop in early 2025

Three workers suffered burns during transport operations at ExxonMobil's Beaumont, Texas facility on Thursday evening, according to local media reports. Emergency crews responded to the incident, though details about the cause, severity of injuries, and worker conditions remain unavailable. ExxonMobil has not yet commented on the incident.

• The injured workers were conducting transport operations when the incident occurred at the Beaumont facility
• Local news outlet 12newsnow and other media reported the fire, but specific details on burn severity and current worker conditions were not disclosed
• ExxonMobil was not immediately available for comment following the incident

NatWest Group reported a 24% increase in annual pretax operating profit to 7.7 billion pounds for 2025, beating analyst expectations of 7.5 billion pounds. The British bank raised its return on tangible equity target to greater than 18% by 2028 and announced a 750 million pound share buyback as it expands aggressively into wealth management.

• NatWest acquired Evelyn Partners for 2.7 billion pounds, marking its largest deal since the 2008 government bailout, as part of its wealth management expansion strategy
• Assets under management and administration grew 20% to 58.5 billion pounds in 2025, even before the Evelyn Partners acquisition closed
• The bank increased its ambitious performance target to a return on tangible equity greater than 18% by 2028, up from previous guidance of greater than 15% by 2027

Goldman Sachs' Chief Legal Officer Kathy Ruemmler is resigning following the release of Department of Justice documents revealing her communications with Jeffrey Epstein, including a phone call he made to her after his 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges. The departure marks another high-profile casualty from Epstein associations, despite Goldman's previous defense of Ruemmler and her statements that she had no knowledge of his criminal conduct.

• Ruemmler was one of three people Epstein called on July 6, 2019, immediately after being arrested by federal authorities at a New Jersey airport on child sex trafficking charges
• Goldman CEO David Solomon had previously defended Ruemmler in November after earlier document releases, calling her an 'exceptional general counsel'
• The resignation follows a pattern of high-profile departures linked to Epstein, including British official Peter Mandelson and law firm chairman Brad Karp losing positions over similar associations

Amazon's Ring has terminated its partnership with police tech company Flock Safety following backlash over a Super Bowl ad featuring an AI-powered 'Search Party' feature for finding lost pets. The decision comes amid growing pressure on tech companies to reexamine their relationships with federal agencies, particularly ICE and CBP. Privacy advocates had called the feature a 'surveillance nightmare' due to Flock's network of automated license plate readers used by law enforcement.

• Ring cited that the Flock integration would require 'significantly more time and resources than anticipated,' though the partnership was never active and no videos were shared between the systems
• Flock Safety operates automated license plate readers sold to law enforcement agencies including ICE and CBP, which have accessed Flock's data during immigration enforcement operations
• The controversy reflects broader tech industry pressure, with over 900 Google employees and Salesforce staff also demanding their companies cut ties with ICE and CBP

Apple won its third trial against Optis Wireless in a patent dispute over 4G LTE technology, after two previous jury verdicts totaling $806 million were overturned on appeal. Optis, an intellectual-property management firm, had sued Apple in 2019 claiming iPhones violated its wireless patents, but the latest jury rejected these claims.

• Previous juries awarded Optis $506 million and $300 million against Apple, but both verdicts were reversed on appeal due to procedural issues including improper jury instructions
• Apple characterized Optis as a non-practicing entity whose 'sole business is to sue companies' seeking excessive payouts, while denying infringement and challenging patent validity
• A separate UK court ruling last year found Apple owes Optis $502 million for infringing UK wireless patents, with Apple's appeal scheduled for hearing at the UK Supreme Court in June

The Trump administration finalized a reciprocal trade agreement with Taiwan that sets U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese imports at 15% while Taiwan commits to eliminating or reducing tariffs on nearly all U.S. goods. Taiwan also agreed to purchase $84.8 billion in U.S. goods from 2025-2029, including energy products, aircraft, and power equipment. The deal puts Taiwan's tariff rate on par with South Korea and Japan, benefiting its semiconductor industry.

• Taiwan commits to $44.4 billion in LNG and crude oil purchases, $15.2 billion in civil aircraft, and $25.2 billion in power grid and industrial equipment through 2029
• Taiwan will immediately eliminate tariffs of up to 26% on U.S. agricultural products including beef, dairy, and corn
• The 15% U.S. tariff rate reduces Taiwan's initial 20% rate imposed by Trump and matches rates for Asian competitors South Korea and Japan

Dexcom reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.26 billion, beating Wall Street estimates by $10 million with 13% year-over-year growth, driven by strong demand for its continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems. The medical device maker reiterated its 2026 revenue forecast of $5.16-$5.25 billion, with the midpoint slightly below analyst expectations of $5.24 billion.

• Adjusted quarterly profit reached 68 cents per share as the company benefited from growing diabetes care awareness, wider insurance coverage, and consumer preference for non-finger-prick devices
• Dexcom is expanding into the broader consumer health market with Stelo, its over-the-counter CGM targeting type 2 diabetes patients not on insulin and wellness-focused consumers
• The company launched its Dexcom G7 15 Day System in 2025 and is banking on new app features in both G7 and Stelo to drive further adoption

Coinbase Global reported a fourth-quarter loss of $666.7 million as cryptocurrency trading volumes weakened amid a broad digital-asset selloff. The downturn followed President Trump's tariff announcements on Chinese imports and threatened export controls, which dampened market sentiment and reduced volatility. Lower volatility hurt Coinbase's trading revenue, which relies on active investor transactions.

• Transaction revenue fell sharply to $982.7 million in Q4, down from $1.56 billion in the same quarter the previous year
• The company posted a loss of $666.7 million, or $2.49 per share, for the quarter
• Cryptocurrency markets retreated from early October 2025 record highs following Trump's tariff policies and export control threats on critical software

Instacart forecast first-quarter gross transaction value and core profit above Wall Street expectations and beat fourth-quarter estimates, driven by strong demand for essentials and growing advertising revenue. The delivery platform logged strong order growth as budget-conscious consumers sought cheaper groceries while relying on rapid delivery convenience. Instacart's advertising business grew to about 9,000 active brands, helping push segment revenue above $1 billion in 2025.

• Q1 GTV forecast of $10.13-$10.28 billion exceeds analyst estimates of $9.95 billion, implying 11-13% year-over-year growth; adjusted EBITDA guidance of $280-$290 million tops expectations of $279.5 million
• Q4 GTV rose 14% to $9.85 billion (vs. $9.5 billion estimate) with orders climbing 16%, outpacing prior year's 11% growth; advertising revenue increased 10% to $294 million
• Company faces intensifying competition from Amazon's sub-30-minute delivery service and Kroger's expanded partnership with Uber Eats, which could erode market share