Trending Market News

Lufthansa cancelled over 460 flights on Thursday affecting nearly 70,000 passengers as pilots and flight attendants went on strike at Germany's largest airline. The walkout was organized by pilots' union VC over pension disputes and flight attendants' union UFO over CityLine's planned shutdown, occurring during major events like the Berlinale film festival and Munich Security Conference.

• Most flights at Lufthansa's Frankfurt and Munich hubs were cancelled for the day, including overseas destinations, with normal operations expected to resume Friday
• Pilots are demanding more generous retirement benefits while Lufthansa, calling its core airline a 'problem child', claims there is no financial leeway for the demands
• Flight attendants at CityLine are separately striking over the planned shutdown of operations and the company's refusal to negotiate a collective social plan

Dutch payments company Adyen's stock fell as much as 20% after reporting H2 2025 earnings and issuing 2026 net revenue growth guidance of 20-22%, below analyst expectations of 22.8%. The company reported 17% year-over-year net revenue growth to 1.27 billion euros, but growth was tempered by slower expansion from APAC-based online retailers and a weaker U.S. dollar.

• Adyen's 2026 revenue growth guidance of 20-22% missed analyst estimates of 22.8%, triggering the sharp stock decline
• H2 2025 net revenue reached 1.27 billion euros ($1.51 billion), up 17% year-over-year, with EMEA and North America each growing 17%
• APAC client revenue growth accelerated slightly to 14%, driven by deeper relationships with existing customers, but overall APAC growth remained a moderating factor

Nissan Motor reported a 44% decline in third-quarter operating profit to 17.5 billion yen ($114.37 million), significantly beating analyst expectations of an 81 billion yen loss. The struggling Japanese automaker continues to face intense competitive pressure in key markets including the United States and China.

• Operating profit fell to 17.5 billion yen from 31.1 billion yen in the same quarter last year, representing a 44% year-over-year decline
• Results substantially exceeded analyst forecasts, which predicted an average loss of 81 billion yen according to an LSEG survey of six analysts
• The profit decline reflects ongoing challenges from heavy competition in major markets such as the U.S. and China

Private equity firm Platinum Equity has agreed to sell Spanish waste management company Urbaser to Blackstone and EQT for $6.6 billion. Platinum will retain ownership of Urbaser's Argentina waste management operations. The deal represents a significant transaction in the waste management sector between major private equity players.

• The acquisition price is $6.6 billion, with buyers Blackstone and EQT jointly acquiring the company
• Platinum Equity is carving out and retaining Urbaser's Argentina waste management business from the sale
• The transaction involves a Spanish waste management company changing hands between prominent private equity firms

U.S. asset manager Nuveen has agreed to acquire British investment firm Schroders for $13.5 billion (£9.9 billion). The combined entity will manage nearly $2.5 trillion in assets, with Schroders CEO Richard Oldfield remaining as leader and London serving as the non-U.S. headquarters.

• The deal values Schroders at £9.9 billion ($13.5 billion) and creates a combined asset management group
• Total assets under management for the merged entity will reach approximately $2.5 trillion
• Schroders CEO Richard Oldfield will continue leading the firm post-acquisition, with London as the non-U.S. headquarters

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi announced the appointment of Belén Garijo as its new CEO, replacing Paul Hudson who will step down on February 17 after the company decided not to renew his mandate. Garijo, who previously spent 15 years at Sanofi and served as CEO of Merck KGaA, will take over leadership to accelerate the company's strategic execution and drive its next growth cycle.

• Paul Hudson's mandate will not be renewed, with his departure effective February 17, though no specific reason for the leadership change was provided
• Garijo brings extensive pharmaceutical experience, including 15 years at Sanofi, board membership at L'Oreal, and previous role as CEO of German pharmaceutical and specialty materials maker Merck KGaA
• Sanofi chairman Frederic Oudea stated Garijo has the 'experience and profile to accelerate the pace' and strengthen execution of the company's strategy

SoftBank Group reported a net profit of $1.62 billion for its October-December quarter, marking its fourth consecutive profitable quarter, compared to a net loss of $5.09 billion in the same period last year. The profit was primarily driven by valuation gains from its investment in OpenAI, though the company faces investor concerns about funding its increasingly large stake in the unprofitable AI firm.

• SoftBank has invested over $30 billion in OpenAI, generating a 2.8 trillion yen ($18.3 billion) investment gain in the nine months ending December 2024
• To fund its OpenAI investments, SoftBank has sold major assets including its $5.8 billion Nvidia stake and $12.73 billion worth of T-Mobile shares between June and December 2024
• OpenAI faces mounting challenges with rising costs to train and run AI models amid intensifying competition from rivals like Alphabet, while remaining unprofitable

One year after Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, Chinese factories and ports are experiencing a surge in activity ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday. Major ports handled 40% more containers in early February compared to a year earlier, with large container shipments to the U.S. running above 2024 and 2025 levels. Despite ongoing 'China-plus-one' diversification strategies, American companies have resumed placing orders and developing new products following a trade truce that stabilized tariff levels.

• Chinese ports saw 40% year-over-year growth in container volume during the week ending Feb. 1, the fastest growth in over 12 months, with Ningbo terminals operating beyond capacity and overbooked by more than 20%
• The surge in pre-holiday demand pushed freight rates up significantly, with trucking rates increasing 80% due to severe congestion and the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index rising above historical averages
• U.S. companies have resumed product development and order placement after a year of uncertainty, with factories maintaining export levels similar to pre-tariff periods despite ongoing supply chain diversification efforts

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has questioned Apple about allegations that Apple News favors left-wing news outlets while suppressing conservative publications. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson warned that if Apple's curation practices contradict its terms of service or consumer expectations, they may violate the FTC Act's prohibition on deceptive practices.

• Multiple studies cited by the FTC found Apple News featured zero articles from American conservative-leaning sources in recent months while promoting hundreds from liberal publications
• The FTC lacks authority to mandate political positions but can investigate whether practices violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, which bars unfair or deceptive acts
• Chairman Ferguson, appointed by Biden and named chair by Trump in January, has prioritized using FTC authority to address conservative concerns like perceived online censorship

Oil prices rose on Thursday as U.S.-Iran tensions escalated, with Brent crude up 0.49% to $69.74 per barrel and WTI up 0.57% to $65.00. President Trump stated he reached agreement with Israel's Netanyahu on how to proceed with Iran while also considering sending troops to the Middle East if diplomatic talks fail. The geopolitical concerns overshadowed a significant 8.5 million barrel build in U.S. crude inventories.

• U.S. crude inventories rose 8.5 million barrels to 428.8 million barrels last week, far exceeding analyst expectations of a 793,000-barrel increase
• Analysts suggest a sustained break above $65-$66 requires further Middle East escalation, while de-escalation could trigger profit-taking toward $60-$61 in WTI
• Upside price bias expected to continue due to U.S.-Iran tensions, tighter Russian oil sanctions, and a resilient U.S. economy supporting oil demand expectations

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $252 million settlement with Applied Materials to resolve alleged illegal exports of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. The settlement addresses violations of export controls that restrict the transfer of advanced chip-making technology to China.

• Applied Materials agreed to pay $252 million to settle charges of illegally exporting semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China
• The case involves violations of U.S. export controls designed to prevent advanced chip-making technology from reaching China
• The settlement was announced by the Commerce Department on February 11, 2026

Russian authorities have blocked WhatsApp by removing it from the internet regulator's online directory, affecting a service that had at least 100 million users in the country until recently. The move targets Meta Platforms-owned WhatsApp, escalating Russia's restrictions on Western technology platforms.

• WhatsApp had at least 100 million users in Russia before the service was blocked
• The messaging app was removed from an online directory maintained by Russia's internet regulator
• This represents another restriction on Meta Platforms' services in Russia, following previous bans on Facebook and Instagram

Motorola Solutions forecast 2026 annual sales of approximately $12.7 billion and adjusted profit above Wall Street estimates, driven by sustained government spending on public safety technology. The company is benefiting from North American public safety agencies upgrading radio systems and investing in video security and command center software. Fourth-quarter sales of $3.38 billion also exceeded analyst expectations.

• Annual sales forecast of $12.7 billion exceeds analyst estimates of $12.61 billion, supported by government agency upgrades to radio systems and security software
• The company generates recurring revenue from its software and services segment, which includes command center software, video analytics, and cybersecurity services
• Fourth-quarter sales reached $3.38 billion, beating estimates of $3.35 billion, as CEO Greg Brown's focus on integrated hardware-software platforms drives higher recurring revenue

Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified in Los Angeles Superior Court in a trial alleging Meta and other social media companies misled the public about platform safety for young users. Mosseri distinguished between 'clinical addiction' and 'problematic use' of social media, comparing excessive Instagram use to binge-watching Netflix. The case centers on allegations that design features like infinite scroll caused addictive behavior and mental health harm in minors.

• The plaintiff alleges Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap knowingly designed features fostering detrimental mental health effects in young users, though TikTok and Snap reached settlements and exited the case
• Court exhibits revealed internal Meta debates over plastic surgery filters in 2019, with executives weighing well-being risks against growth impacts and competitive concerns in Asian markets
• Mosseri testified that protecting minors is 'good for business and for profit' in the long run, while emphasizing he is not a medical professional when discussing addiction terminology

Deutsche Bank continued providing services to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for seven months after telling him in December 2018 it would end their relationship, only closing all accounts after his July 2019 arrest. Newly released U.S. Justice Department documents reveal the German bank facilitated cash withdrawals and currency orders during this wind-down period, despite earlier claiming it would cease servicing his accounts by February 2019.

• Epstein held at least nine accounts totaling $1.78 million with Deutsche as of May 2019, including arranging 50,000 euros in cash for a European trip in April 2019
• Deutsche paid regulators $150 million in 2020 for banking Epstein from 2013-2019, criticized for weak oversight despite public reports linking him to trafficking young women
• The bank's wealth management head sent an email immediately after Epstein's arrest, triggering an internal review that finally closed all remaining accounts

Cisco Systems raised its full-year revenue and profit forecasts on Wednesday, driven by strong enterprise demand for networking equipment amid the AI boom. The company increased its 2026 revenue outlook to $61.2-$61.7 billion from a prior range of $60.2-$61 billion, reflecting robust data center investments by technology companies building AI computing infrastructure.

• Surge in data center investments has driven strong demand for Cisco's core networking products including switches and routers
• Enterprises are prioritizing 'AI ready' campus networks as infrastructure readiness becomes crucial for AI-era workloads and modernization across switching, wireless, and IoT systems
• New revenue guidance for 2026 represents an increase of approximately $1 billion at the midpoint compared to previous forecast

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed a new stake in Meta on Wednesday, with Ackman describing the social media company as having a 'deeply discounted valuation.' The investment represents a notable vote of confidence from the prominent activist investor in Meta's current market position.

• Pershing Square Capital Management, led by billionaire investor Bill Ackman, revealed the Meta position as breaking news
• Ackman characterized Meta as 'deeply undervalued,' suggesting he sees significant upside potential in the stock
• The disclosure marks a new investment position for the activist hedge fund manager known for concentrated, high-conviction bets

McDonald's is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, with Wall Street expecting revenue of $6.84 billion. The fast-food giant has been responding to weakened low-income consumer spending by launching value promotions, while successfully attracting high-income diners trading down from fast-casual options. Analysts project same-store sales growth of 3.9%, driven by a 5.4% increase in U.S. locations.

• McDonald's has warned for over a year that low-income consumers are spending less, prompting the chain to embrace value-focused promotions including a new value menu and relaunched Extra Value combo meals
• High-income consumers trading down from fast-casual restaurants have become a bright spot, attracted by buzzy promotions like the return of Monopoly and the holiday-timed Grinch meal in Q4
• Wall Street analysts expect same-store sales to rise 3.9% overall, with U.S. locations showing stronger growth at 5.4%, according to StreetAccount estimates

A new study by health data firm Truveta found that 36% of early users of Novo Nordisk's new Wegovy weight-loss pill had no prior experience with GLP-1 medications. The analysis reviewed health records from 8,762 patients who received prescriptions for the pill, which was FDA-approved on December 22. The remaining users switched from either injectable Wegovy or Eli Lilly's competing GLP-1 drug Zepbound.

• Among patients starting the new pill, 21.1% had previously used injectable Wegovy and 15.8% switched from Eli Lilly's Zepbound injectable
• The oral pill formulation appears to be attracting a significant portion of first-time GLP-1 users, potentially expanding the overall market for these weight-loss medications
• Truveta's analysis was based on 8,762 patient health records following the FDA's December 22 approval of the oral Wegovy formulation

Stellantis issued a 'Do Not Drive' warning for approximately 225,000 older U.S. vehicles with unrepaired defective Takata air bag inflators. The affected vehicles include various Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Mitsubishi models from 2003-2016 that have not completed recall repairs. The defective inflators have been linked to 28 deaths in the United States.

• The warning covers multiple vehicle brands including Dodge Ram, Durango, Dakota, Magnum, Challenger, Chrysler Aspen and 300, Jeep Wrangler, and Mitsubishi Raider from model years 2003-2016
• NHTSA reports 28 U.S. deaths from crashes involving defective Takata air bag inflators, warning that even minor crashes can cause the air bags to explode and cause fatal or severe injuries
• The 225,000 vehicles subject to the warning have outstanding recall repairs that remain incomplete despite previous recall notices