Trending Market News

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill reached over 26,000 U.S. prescriptions in its second full week post-launch, ending January 23. The strong initial uptake is being closely monitored by investors as Novo Nordisk competes with rival Eli Lilly in the lucrative weight-loss drug market.

• Wegovy pill recorded 26,109 prescriptions for the week ended January 23, described by Barclays analysts as a 'very strong' launch
• Investors are tracking prescription data to assess whether Novo Nordisk can leverage its first-mover advantage against competitor Eli Lilly
• The oral formulation of Wegovy represents Novo's effort to maintain market leadership in the competitive weight-loss pharmaceutical sector

Chinese state oil firm CNPC plans to restart a 200,000-bpd crude distillation unit at its Dalian refinery around mid-2026, months after shutting the entire facility in July 2025. The move will allow CNPC to resume purchases of discounted Russian seaborne oil, which were halted in October following U.S. sanctions, and demonstrates Beijing's continued support for Moscow. The restart requires approval from China's NDRC, which had ordered the plant's permanent closure.

• The Dalian refinery closure displaced hundreds of workers who could be reinstated; the restarted unit will process approximately 120,000-140,000 bpd (6-7 million metric tons annually)
• Russia's ESPO Blend crude trades at an $11 per barrel discount to rival Brazilian oil, creating attractive profit margins that are driving the restart decision
• CNPC could resume spot purchases of Russian seaborne oil cargoes within a couple of months, reversing the October 2025 halt triggered by U.S. sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil

LVMH's Hennessy cognac brand has reached a pay agreement with unions to compensate workers for bonuses lost in 2024 due to weak sales. The deal includes one-off payments of 6.8% of annual salaries, ranging from approximately 3,200 to 6,500 euros per worker, and is expected to prevent strikes. This contrasts with ongoing labor disputes at LVMH's champagne brands Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, where workers continue to protest over lost bonuses.

• The agreement provides one-off payments of 6.8% of annual salaries with a minimum of around 3,200 euros ($3,817) and maximum of 6,500 euros per worker, preventing planned strike action
• LVMH's drinks division profits have halved over the past two years, with cognac sales particularly impacted by U.S. tariffs and sluggish demand in Hennessy's largest market
• Workers at LVMH's champagne brands Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot remain in dispute, with the CGT union planning protests near Paris offices over cancelled profit-sharing and annual benefits

Panama's Supreme Court annulled port contracts held by CK Hutchison subsidiary Panama Ports Company, which has operated container terminals at the Panama Canal's Pacific and Atlantic entrances since the 1990s. The ruling, citing unconstitutionality, leaves the future of these operations uncertain and is viewed as favorable to U.S. interests amid growing U.S.-China rivalry over global trade routes.

• The decision affects operations at critical terminals along the Panama Canal, through which about 5% of global maritime trade passes
• The ruling is seen as a win for President Trump's push to curb Chinese influence and boost U.S. control over the strategic waterway
• Panama may need to restructure the legal framework for port contracts and potentially re-tender the terminals to new operators

Stryker raised its full-year profit forecast on January 22, driven by strong sales of joint replacements, medical implants, and surgical devices. The medical equipment maker reported fourth-quarter revenue of $7.17 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, as the company surpassed $25 billion in annual revenue. However, CEO Kevin Lobo warned that tariff impacts in 2026 are expected to reach $400 million, double the previous year's hit.

• Fourth-quarter revenue reached $7.17 billion, beating analyst estimates of $7.12 billion, with the medical surgery and neurotechnology unit up 17.5% to $4.6 billion
• The company expects tariff impacts of approximately $400 million in 2026, $200 million higher than 2025, with most effects realized in the first half of the year
• CEO stated the company has 'significant momentum' after surpassing $25 billion in annual revenue and plans to offset tariff costs by optimizing its manufacturing footprint

Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf received $40 million in compensation for 2025, a 28% increase from $31.2 million the previous year. The board attributed the pay raise to Scharf's leadership in resolving compliance issues, closing regulatory punishments, and driving improved earnings and revenue. The increase aligns with broader Wall Street trends of elevated executive compensation following a strong financial year.

• Scharf's compensation rose from $31.2 million to $40 million, representing a 28% year-over-year increase
• The board credited his leadership in fixing major compliance problems and resolving several significant regulatory enforcement actions
• The pay increase follows a pattern among Wall Street executives receiving higher compensation after a banner year, including Goldman Sachs leadership

AI startup Perplexity has signed a $750 million agreement with Microsoft to use its Azure cloud service, according to Bloomberg News reports citing sources familiar with the matter. The deal represents a significant cloud infrastructure commitment as Perplexity scales its AI operations. Reuters has not yet independently verified the agreement.

• The $750 million deal commits Perplexity to using Microsoft's Azure cloud platform for its AI infrastructure needs
• The agreement highlights the growing competition among cloud providers to secure AI startup customers as demand for computing resources surges
• Reuters could not immediately verify Bloomberg's report about the deal terms

Western Digital forecast third-quarter revenue of $3.2 billion, exceeding Wall Street's $2.96 billion estimate, driven by strong demand for hard drives and flash storage used in AI infrastructure. The company's products are essential for AI workloads, with HDDs storing vast training datasets and SSDs providing high-speed performance. Demand continues to outpace supply in a stable pricing environment.

• Q3 revenue guidance of $3.2 billion (plus or minus $100 million) beats analyst estimates of $2.96 billion
• Q2 revenue reached $3.02 billion, surpassing expectations of $2.92 billion
• Growth fueled by hyperscalers' AI adoption and the global race to scale AI infrastructure, with demand outpacing supply

The U.S. government is reportedly considering fintech company Robinhood Markets to oversee 'Trump accounts' being created for millions of children, according to Bloomberg News sources. Neither Robinhood nor the U.S. Treasury Department provided comments on the report. The accounts represent a significant government initiative involving children's financial products.

• Robinhood Markets, a major fintech platform, is being considered for a key administrative role in the new account program
• The initiative involves creating accounts for millions of children, though specific details about account structure and purpose were not disclosed
• Both Robinhood and the U.S. Treasury Department declined to comment or did not respond to requests for information

ResMed exceeded Wall Street profit estimates in its second quarter, driven by strong demand for its sleep apnea devices. Despite concerns that Eli Lilly's newly approved drug Zepbound would reduce demand for CPAP machines, ResMed expects GLP-1 therapies and consumer wearables to actually encourage more patients to use its devices. The company reported revenue of $1.42 billion, up 11% year-over-year.

• Second-quarter revenue reached $1.42 billion, beating analyst estimates of $1.40 billion with 11% year-over-year growth
• The company posted adjusted profit of $2.81 per share, surpassing expectations despite competitive concerns about Eli Lilly's Zepbound drug for sleep apnea
• ResMed views GLP-1 therapies and sleep-tracking wearables as complementary rather than competitive, expecting them to drive increased patient adoption of CPAP devices

Microsoft's stock plunged in its largest decline since 2020, wiping out $357 billion in market capitalization and leaving it valued at $3.22 trillion. The selloff followed disappointing quarterly results, including Azure cloud growth of 39% that missed the 39.4% consensus estimate and weaker-than-expected guidance for its Windows segment.

• Microsoft's CFO stated Azure growth could have exceeded 40% if the company had allocated more GPU capacity to customers instead of prioritizing internal AI applications like Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Analysts questioned Microsoft's strategy of securing AI computing capacity for products that haven't become breakout hits, with UBS noting that Copilot usage has not ramped as strongly as expected
• The implied operating margin and More Personal Computing segment revenue guidance of $12.6 billion both fell short of analyst expectations of $13.7 billion

Visa reported increased first-quarter profit driven by strong payment volumes during the holiday season, reflecting resilient U.S. consumer spending particularly among higher-income households. The payment processor's global network saw an 8% jump in payment volumes, serving as a key indicator of broader economic health.

• Visa reported net income of $5.9 billion, or $3.03 per share, for the first quarter
• Global payments volume increased 8% on a constant dollar basis, driven by record holiday shopping and surging online sales
• Middle-income households face limited purchasing flexibility due to price increases from Trump administration tariffs, while higher-income spending remains strong

Waymo is launching driverless ride service to San Francisco International Airport, initially for select customers with a gradual rollout planned over coming months. This marks Waymo's third major airport operation, expanding its autonomous vehicle service into a market traditionally dominated by Uber and Lyft. The Alphabet-owned company will start with pickups and drop-offs at the rental car center before expanding to terminals.

• SFO becomes Waymo's third major airport location alongside San Jose Mineta International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
• Service will initially operate at the airport's rental car center before expanding to terminals, following highway driving tests conducted late last year
• The expansion targets high-demand airport transportation market currently dominated by Uber and Lyft, with Waymo citing strong rider demand for airport access

General Motors is cutting approximately 500 jobs at its Oshawa, Ontario plant by eliminating a third shift on Sunday, with union Unifor warning up to 1,200 workers across the auto supply chain will be affected. The union blames the cuts on U.S. tariffs of 25% on Canadian-built vehicles and accuses GM of appeasing the Trump administration, though GM denies any link to tariffs and cites normalized post-pandemic demand.

• GM will return the Oshawa plant to two-shift operation after temporarily adding a third shift to meet post-pandemic pickup truck demand and replenish inventories
• Unifor claims GM rejected a proposal to keep the third shift through 2026 and is shifting production to the U.S. in response to Washington's 25% tariff on Canadian-built vehicles
• GM has invested C$280 million ($207 million) as part of over C$2.6 billion in Canadian manufacturing over five years, and criticized Canada for allowing up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles with only a 6.1% tariff

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