Trending Market News

Databricks, a data analytics software company valued at $134 billion, has secured $1.8 billion in new debt financing, bringing its total debt access to over $7 billion. The company is preparing for a potential IPO in 2026 alongside other high-profile tech firms like Anthropic, Canva, and Stripe.

• Databricks raised over $4 billion in December 2024 at a $134 billion valuation, with $4.8 billion in annualized revenue growing at over 55% year-over-year
• The company reported positive free cash flow and subscription gross margin exceeding 80% in fiscal year 2025
• CEO Ali Ghodsi indicated the company would not rule out an IPO in 2026, positioning it among highly valued tech companies preparing to go public

Tesla has discontinued its basic Autopilot driver-assistance system in the US and Canada, pushing customers toward its more advanced Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. The change comes as Tesla also announced it will end one-time $8,000 purchases of Full Self-Driving on February 14, making the feature available only through a $99 monthly subscription.

• Tesla removed Autopilot, its entry-level driver-assistance feature, forcing customers to upgrade to Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for automated driving capabilities
• The company is eliminating the $8,000 one-time purchase option for Full Self-Driving effective February 14, transitioning to a subscription-only model at $99 per month
• The moves represent a strategic shift to recurring revenue streams and standardization on Tesla's more advanced autonomous driving technology

French food maker Danone is recalling specific baby formula batches in targeted European markets due to potential contamination with cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea, vomiting, and in rare cases be fatal. The recall follows a broader contamination scare affecting major dairy companies including Nestle and Lactalis, with the toxin detected in an arachidonic acid oil ingredient manufactured in China.

• The recalled products were manufactured in Ireland and exported to EU countries, the UK, and third countries, though none were distributed within Ireland itself
• Nestle's related recall has already affected products in almost 70 countries, indicating the wide scope of this contamination issue
• French authorities are investigating the deaths of two infants who consumed baby formula products subject to precautionary recall earlier this month

Toyota announced a safety recall of approximately 162,000 vehicles in the United States due to a faulty multimedia display system. The recall affects certain 2024-2025 model year Toyota Tundra and Tundra Hybrid vehicles, with the display potentially getting stuck on a camera view or showing a black screen, which may violate federal safety standards.

• The recall specifically targets 2024-2025 Toyota Tundra and Tundra Hybrid models totaling around 162,000 vehicles
• The multimedia display defect causes screens to freeze on camera views or display black images, potentially failing to meet federal safety requirements
• Toyota plans to notify affected customers by late March 2025 about the recall issue

Airbus is nearing a deal to sell approximately 100 A220 regional jets to AirAsia, with options for about 50 more aircraft, marking the budget carrier's first purchase of smaller narrowbody planes. The announcement could come within days as Asia's largest low-cost carrier pursues a turnaround following pandemic-related financial distress. AirAsia already has over 350 larger A320-family jets on order with Airbus.

• The deal would make AirAsia the first buyer for a potential high-density, 160-seat version of the A220, after discussions that began ahead of the 2025 Paris Airshow
• AirAsia's parent company Capital A was classified as financially distressed (PN17 status) by Malaysia's stock exchange following pandemic travel restrictions, though it has now finished its regularization plan
• AirAsia is considering ordering a further 150 jets for regional operations as it expands to new destinations, while consolidating aviation businesses under AirAsia X to reduce costs

Oilfield service company SLB announced it can rapidly expand operations in Venezuela following the U.S. ouster of President Nicolas Maduro in early January, pending proper licensing and compliance measures. SLB is currently the only international service company actively operating in Venezuela and met with the White House alongside other oil companies to discuss potential investments in the country.

• SLB CEO stated the company is 'already receiving a lot of inquiries from customers' but expansion requires proper licensing, payment terms, and operating licenses to be established
• Rival Halliburton similarly announced plans to return to Venezuela once commercial and legal terms, including payment certainty, are resolved
• SLB maintains active facilities, equipment, and local personnel in Venezuela, currently delivering services under an oil major's license, while Chevron produces 240,000 barrels per day through joint ventures with state oil company PDVSA

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Oman and Iran, is critical to global oil supply as approximately one-fifth of the world's oil consumption passes through it. Rising tensions with Iran have raised concerns about potential disruption to this vital chokepoint, which carries over 20 million barrels per day of crude and fuel, primarily from Gulf OPEC members to Asian markets.

• More than 20 million barrels per day of crude, condensate and fuels passed through the strait in the previous year, with the shipping lane only 2 miles wide in either direction at its narrowest point
• Major Gulf exporters including Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Kuwait and Iraq rely on the strait for most crude exports, while Qatar sends nearly all its LNG through the waterway
• Iran has historically threatened to block the strait during conflicts, including a 2012 threat over sanctions and vessel seizures in 2023-2024, with only 2.6 million bpd of bypass capacity available through Saudi and UAE pipelines

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill recorded 18,410 U.S. prescriptions in its first full week post-launch, according to IQVIA data. The strong debut is being closely monitored by investors as Novo seeks to leverage its first-mover advantage against rival Eli Lilly in the competitive weight-loss drug market. Analysts noted the launch is tracking ahead of other GLP-1 medication rollouts.

• The pill generated 18,410 prescriptions in its first full week, outpacing other GLP-1 drug launches according to Guggenheim analysts
• Investors are watching prescription data closely to gauge Novo Nordisk's competitive position against rival Eli Lilly in the weight-loss market
• The launch represents Novo's attempt to press its first-mover advantage in the oral GLP-1 weight-loss segment

UBS is planning to offer cryptocurrency investment options to select private banking clients, initially in Switzerland with potential expansion to Asia-Pacific and the U.S., according to Bloomberg News. The Swiss lender is currently selecting partners for the proposed crypto offering, which would allow clients to buy and sell bitcoin and ether. This move reflects rising demand for digital assets among wealthy clients and marks another step in institutional crypto adoption under the Trump administration's pro-crypto stance.

• UBS would initially offer bitcoin and ether trading to select Swiss private banking clients, with potential later expansion to Asia-Pacific and U.S. markets
• The initiative responds to increasing demand for digital assets from wealthy clients and aligns with President Trump's pledge to make America the 'crypto capital of the world'
• Other major institutions are making similar moves: JPMorgan Chase is considering offering crypto to institutional clients, while Morgan Stanley plans to enable crypto spot trading on E*Trade starting first half of this year

Abbott Healthcare is under investigation in India for alleged misuse and illegal diversion of its codeine-based cough syrup Phensedyl, which is abused by addicts and smuggled into Bangladesh where it is banned. Police seized 30,000 bottles in November 2024, and authorities inspected Abbott's manufacturing plant in January 2025 as part of the probe. Abbott discontinued Phensedyl production in December 2024 after misuse persisted despite preventive measures.

• Police seized 30,000 bottles of Phensedyl hidden in rice sacks during a November 2024 raid, with 22 million bottles worth $55 million supplied to Uttar Pradesh between April 2024 and March 2025
• Investigation found cough syrup quantities 'much more than actual consumption,' indicating diversion through a parallel supply chain for abuse rather than therapeutic use
• Abbott ceased manufacturing Phensedyl in December 2024 after years of attempting to prevent misuse, though the company is cooperating with authorities and is not named as an accused party

British regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into Meta Platforms over potentially incomplete and inaccurate information the company provided about WhatsApp during a market review. The review examined the wholesale market for business bulk SMS messages, which are used for appointment reminders and delivery notifications. Ofcom stated that available evidence suggests Meta's response may not have been complete and accurate.

• The investigation stems from Ofcom's 2024 review of the wholesale business bulk SMS market, which handles appointment reminders and parcel delivery notifications
• Ofcom alleges that Meta may have failed to provide complete and accurate information about WhatsApp in response to the regulatory review
• The probe raises compliance concerns about Meta's cooperation with UK regulatory data requests and market investigations

FedEx announced a restructuring of its domestic operations in France that will eliminate up to 500 jobs while investing up to 78 million euros ($91.58 million). The overhaul aims to streamline the company's station network and reduce overlapping infrastructure in response to intense competition and cost pressures in the French parcel delivery market.

• FedEx will reduce its station footprint in France from 103 to 86 locations as part of the network simplification
• The restructuring could create more than 770 new full- and part-time operations jobs, with affected employees receiving priority for these roles
• The company's international air network will remain unchanged, and a formal consultation process with employee representatives will follow French labor law requirements

Adani Group stocks fell sharply after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly sought court permission to summon founder Gautam Adani over fraud and bribery charges. Adani and seven others were indicted in November 2024 in New York federal court for allegedly paying over $250 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure solar energy contracts worth more than $2 billion in profits.

• Adani Green Energy dropped 12%, Adani Enterprises fell over 8%, and Adani Power declined 5% on Friday following the news
• The SEC alleges Adani executives misled U.S. and international investors about anti-bribery compliance while raising more than $3 billion in capital
• The SEC told the court it repeatedly sought assistance from the Indian government to deliver summons but was unsuccessful

Intuitive Surgical reported fourth-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations, driven by strong demand for its da Vinci surgical robots used in minimally invasive procedures. The company benefited from hospitals addressing procedure backlogs and expanding minimally invasive care access. Growth is expected to moderate in 2026 with anticipated tariff impacts.

• Da Vinci procedure volume grew 18% year-over-year in Q4, with the company projecting 13-15% growth in 2026 compared to 18% growth in 2025
• Q4 revenue reached $2.87 billion versus analyst estimates of $2.75 billion, with adjusted earnings of $2.53 per share
• Company expects 2026 gross profit margin of 67-68% of revenue, including an estimated 1.2% impact from tariffs, with over 80% of instruments produced at its Mexico facility

Amazon plans to announce approximately 14,000 corporate job cuts next week, potentially starting Tuesday, as part of a broader initiative to eliminate 30,000 white-collar positions. This follows an initial round in October 2023 that cut roughly 14,000 jobs, representing the first half of the company's total reduction target.

• The upcoming layoffs are expected to match the October 2023 cut of approximately 14,000 corporate workers
• Amazon's total job reduction target is 30,000 white-collar positions, with about half already eliminated in the first round
• The company declined to comment on the planned layoffs, which could begin as early as Tuesday according to unnamed sources

Microsoft 365 experienced a significant outage on Thursday, affecting thousands of users primarily in North America. According to Downdetector, over 13,100 incidents were reported as Microsoft investigated issues with service infrastructure not processing traffic as expected.

• More than 13,100 user-reported incidents were logged on Downdetector during the outage
• Microsoft identified a portion of its North American service infrastructure that was not processing traffic properly
• The outage impacted multiple services within the Microsoft 365 productivity software suite

Clorox announced the acquisition of privately held Gojo Industries, maker of Purell hand sanitizer, for $2.25 billion in cash. The deal aims to strengthen Clorox's position in the health and hygiene market segments and will be funded primarily through debt financing.

• The all-cash transaction is valued at $2.25 billion and will be financed primarily through debt
• Gojo Industries is a privately held company specializing in skin health and hygiene solutions, best known for the Purell brand
• The acquisition is expected to close before the end of Clorox's fiscal year 2026

Microsoft experienced technical issues with Outlook email service on Thursday, disrupting users' ability to send and receive emails during U.S. business hours. The outage affected schools, government institutions, and companies relying on the core Microsoft 365 productivity tool, with infrastructure problems identified in North America.

• Users encountered '451 4.3.2 temporary server issue' error messages, with Microsoft identifying that a portion of service infrastructure in North America was not handling traffic correctly
• The disruption also impacted searches in OneDrive cloud storage and other Microsoft services during peak business hours
• This follows a previous 21-hour Outlook outage that occurred in July, highlighting recurring reliability concerns with the widely-used email platform

Intel reported fourth-quarter earnings that beat expectations with adjusted EPS of 15 cents versus 8 cents estimated and revenue of $13.7 billion versus $13.4 billion estimated. However, the stock fell after the company provided weak first-quarter guidance of $11.7-12.7 billion in revenue. The company posted a net loss of $600 million despite optimism around its foundry business and 18A manufacturing technology.

• Intel's foundry business generated $4.5 billion in revenue, with CEO Lip-Bu Tan citing 'strong customer demand' for the company's 18A technology that competes with TSMC's 2nm process
• Data Center and AI sales reached $4.7 billion, up 9% year-over-year, driven by increased spending on AI infrastructure and strong server chip sales
• Client Computing Group (laptops) sales declined 7% year-over-year to $8.2 billion, while the stock has risen 147% over the past year on foundry business optimism

The FDIC has approved deposit insurance applications from Ford Motor Company and General Motors, allowing them to establish industrial banks and offer financial services. The conditional approvals require the automakers to set up their lending operations within 12 months. This decision reignites a long-standing dispute between traditional banks, who oppose industrial loan charters citing insufficient oversight, and proponents who argue these charters enable limited customer financial services.

• Ford and GM must stand up their lending arms within 12 months as a condition of the FDIC approval
• Traditional banks have opposed industrial loan charters, arguing they allow commercial firms to engage in banking without proper regulatory oversight
• The approvals mark the latest development in a prolonged conflict between commercial companies seeking banking powers and the traditional banking industry