Trending Market News

Tencent Cloud has partnered with Tesla to integrate WeChat features into Tesla vehicles in China, including instant location data transfer and smart service suggestions. The upgrade will be delivered via over-the-air update to Model 3 and Model Y vehicles and will come as standard on future Tesla cars in the Chinese market.

• Integration allows WeChat location data to be instantly transferred to Tesla's in-car system with smart service suggestions based on destinations
• Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China will receive the features through an over-the-air software update
• Future Tesla vehicles sold in China will include these WeChat integration features by default

Heineken announced plans to cut 5,000 to 6,000 jobs globally over the next two years as part of a productivity drive amid weak beer demand. The world's second-largest brewer by market value also lowered its 2026 profit growth expectations to 2-6%, down from the 4-8% guidance given for 2025, despite beating 2025 profit forecasts.

• Job cuts represent part of a new strategy through 2030 aimed at delivering higher growth with fewer resources and unlocking significant cost savings
• Heineken's 2025 organic operating profit grew 4.4%, beating analyst expectations of 4% growth
• The company reduced its 2026 profit growth outlook to 2-6% from the prior 4-8% guidance as the brewer and its peers face ongoing weak demand for beer

Eli Lilly received Chinese regulatory approval for mirikizumab, a treatment for moderately-to-severely active Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. This marks the company's first approval in China's digestive immunity field and expands the drug's reach into the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market, where it is already approved in the U.S. and other countries.

• Mirikizumab is approved to treat moderately-to-severely active Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in China
• This is Lilly China's first innovative medicine approval in the digestive immunity therapeutic area
• China's ulcerative colitis therapy market is expected to see considerable growth over the next decade driven by targeted medicines like this drug

ByteDance is developing an AI chip codenamed SeedChip and negotiating with Samsung Electronics for manufacturing, aiming to receive samples by end-March. The TikTok parent plans to produce at least 100,000 units this year for AI inference tasks, with potential scale-up to 350,000 units. This move follows U.S. export controls on advanced chips to China and mirrors efforts by rivals Alibaba and Baidu to reduce reliance on Nvidia.

• ByteDance plans AI-related procurement exceeding 160 billion yuan ($22 billion) in 2025, with over half allocated to Nvidia chips including H200 models and in-house chip development
• Samsung negotiations include access to scarce memory chip supplies, making the deal particularly attractive amid global AI infrastructure buildout
• ByteDance executives acknowledged the company's AI models lag behind OpenAI but pledged continued investment, with the SeedChip project part of broader AI push spanning large language models and applications

Over 1,400 Salesforce employees have signed a letter urging CEO Marc Benioff to cancel potential business deals with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing concerns about the company enabling the agency's expansion. The employee action follows reports that Salesforce pitched AI technology to help ICE hire 10,000 new agents and comes amid broader tech worker opposition to ICE contracts.

• Employees are demanding Salesforce cancel all active pitches to ICE and disclose what services it currently provides to the agency, expressing concern that company products may enable ICE recruitment and operational expansion
• The letter follows an incident where Benioff joked about ICE presence at a Las Vegas employee gathering, prompting criticism on internal Slack channels
• Salesforce stock is down 27% in 2026 amid investor concerns about AI models impacting software company growth, while over 900 Google employees have made similar demands to cut ties with ICE

Oil prices held steady on Wednesday, with Brent crude up 0.3% to $69.03 per barrel and WTI up 0.4% to $64.19, as markets awaited direction from ongoing U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks. Geopolitical uncertainty provided price support, particularly after reports that the U.S. may deploy a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East if negotiations fail.

• Iran's foreign ministry indicated sufficient consensus to continue diplomatic talks with the U.S., following last week's meeting in Oman after President Trump positioned a naval flotilla in the region
• Trump said Tuesday he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East if talks fail, dampening earlier optimism from productive initial discussions
• U.S. crude inventories rose by 13.4 million barrels in the week ended February 6 according to API data, with official EIA data expected Wednesday showing an estimated 800,000 barrel increase

The FCC approved Amazon's request to deploy 4,500 additional low Earth orbit satellites, expanding its planned constellation to roughly 7,700 satellites total. Amazon's Leo internet service, which has launched over 150 satellites so far, aims to begin operations later this year and compete with SpaceX's Starlink, which currently has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit and 9 million customers.

• Amazon must launch 50% of the approved satellites by February 2032 and the remaining half by February 2035, per FCC requirements
• The company has invested $10 billion in Leo and plans to spend $1 billion more in 2026, with over 20 launches scheduled this year and 30+ in 2027
• Amazon is seeking to extend or waive an FCC deadline to deploy 1,600 first-generation satellites by July 2026, citing rocket shortages and claiming it produces satellites faster than they can be launched

The U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license authorizing American companies to provide goods, technology, and services for oil and gas exploration in Venezuela, marking a significant easing of sanctions first imposed in 2019. The permit aims to help increase Venezuela's oil output, currently at almost 1 million barrels per day, though it does not authorize new joint ventures. The move follows recent diplomatic developments and is part of a broader $100 billion reconstruction plan for Venezuela's oil industry.

• The license requires contracts with Venezuela's government or PDVSA to follow U.S. laws, with disputes resolved in the United States and payments to sanctioned entities made into U.S.-overseen funds
• Venezuela's current oil production stands at almost 1 million barrels per day, with the U.S. drafting a $100 billion reconstruction plan to expand foreign producer participation
• Major oil companies including Chevron, Repsol, ENI, and Reliance Industries have applied for individual licenses to expand operations, though the volume of requests has delayed investment progress

Petrobras, Brazil's state-run oil company, reported fourth quarter 2025 production of 3.11 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), marking an 18% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This significant year-over-year growth demonstrates the company's expanding output capacity in oil, gas, and gas liquids.

• Total production reached 3.11 million boed in Q4 2025, encompassing oil, natural gas, and gas liquids
• The 18% year-over-year production increase signals strong operational performance and potential capacity expansion
• As a state-run enterprise, Petrobras' production growth has implications for Brazil's energy sector and national economy

Mattel lowered its full-year profit forecast after missing fourth-quarter estimates, as cautious consumer spending during the holiday season weakened toy demand. The company reported Q4 net sales of $1.77 billion, below the expected $1.84 billion, with heavy promotional activity in December pressuring margins. Mattel is pivoting toward entertainment and digital gaming to capture higher-margin revenue from its intellectual properties.

• Fourth-quarter net sales rose only 7% to $1.77 billion, missing Wall Street expectations of $1.84 billion, with adjusted earnings of 39 cents per share also falling short
• The company is acquiring the remaining 50% of joint venture Mattel163 for $159 million and forecasts 3-6% sales growth this year, supported by about $150 million in revenue from the acquisition
• Mattel is expanding its entertainment strategy with upcoming releases including a live-action 'Masters of the Universe' film in June, hoping to replicate the success of 2023's blockbuster 'Barbie' movie

Lyft announced a $1 billion share buyback program but forecast first-quarter bookings and adjusted core profit below expectations due to severe winter storms disrupting ride demand across the U.S., particularly on the East Coast. Despite the weak Q1 outlook, the company reported its most profitable fourth quarter on record with adjusted core earnings of $154.1 million, surpassing analyst expectations.

• Q1 forecast disappointed with expected adjusted core profit of $120-140 million versus estimates of $139.4 million, impacted by Winter Storm Fern
• The $1 billion buyback represents roughly 15% of Lyft's market cap and follows a previous $750 million repurchase program, reflecting confidence in long-term growth
• Q4 results showed strong performance with 19% bookings growth to $5.07 billion and $1.12 billion in free cash flow for 2025, exceeding estimates of $993.4 million

Ford Motor reported a $11.1 billion net loss in Q4 2025 due to substantial writedowns on its EV programs, though quarterly revenue of $45.9 billion beat expectations. CEO Jim Farley projects $8-10 billion in EBIT for 2026 despite facing approximately $2 billion in costs from Trump administration tariffs and ongoing challenges from an aluminum supplier fire that impacted production.

• Ford's quarterly core profit fell 50% to $1 billion, with adjusted EPS of 13 cents missing analyst expectations, while the company narrowly missed its revised annual EBIT guidance of $7 billion, posting $6.8 billion
• The automaker's EV and software unit recorded $4.8 billion in losses for 2025 and projects $4-4.5 billion in losses for 2026 as it pivots strategy to focus on a new $30,000 EV platform and electric pickup designed by a California-based team
• Trump's tariffs will add roughly $2 billion in costs in 2026, primarily affecting aluminum sourcing for F-150 trucks, while Ford stock has risen 47% to around $14 per share despite industrywide challenges facing legacy automakers

Gilead Sciences reported fourth-quarter sales and profit that exceeded Wall Street estimates, driven by strong performance from its HIV drugs including newly launched Yeztugo. However, the company's 2026 financial forecast came in at the lower end of analyst expectations, with management citing uncertainty related to Trump Administration policies and expired Affordable Care Act subsidies.

• Yeztugo, Gilead's twice-yearly HIV prevention injection launched in 2025, generated $96 million in Q4 sales versus $88 million expected, with 2026 sales projected at $800 million
• HIV drug Biktarvy posted $4 billion in quarterly sales, beating the $3.8 billion analyst estimate, with CEO calling the HIV business 'going from strength to strength'
• The company forecasts 2026 product sales of $29.6-$30 billion compared to analyst expectations of $30.2 billion, trimming its outlook by about 2% due to policy uncertainty and insurance coverage concerns

Blackstone is increasing its investment in AI startup Anthropic by $200 million, bringing its total stake to approximately $1 billion. The investment values Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot, at roughly $350 billion, reflecting strong investor appetite for leading generative AI companies backed by Amazon and Alphabet.

• Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, is adding $200 million to its position as part of Anthropic's ongoing funding round
• Anthropic recently launched Opus 4.6, a new flagship AI model with improved reasoning, coding, and complex text-generation capabilities designed for enterprise and consumer use
• The investment comes amid growing concerns that rapid AI advances could disrupt traditional software companies, triggering a selloff in software stocks in Europe and the U.S.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the country's largest bank by market value, reported record first-half cash earnings of A$5.45 billion for the six months ended December 31, beating analyst estimates. The strong performance was driven by robust lending and deposit growth, though net interest margins contracted 4 basis points to 2.04% due to intense competition in a low-interest-rate environment.

• Cash net profit rose 6.2% year-over-year to A$5.45 billion ($3.86 billion), surpassing the consensus estimate of A$5.19 billion
• Home lending volumes grew 3.7% and business lending increased 6.0%, both outpacing overall system growth, while household deposits climbed 7.5%
• Net interest margin fell 4 basis points to 2.04% from the prior year, reflecting pressure from tight competition in the low-rate environment; CBA declared an interim dividend of A$2.35 per share

TotalEnergies has acquired full ownership of the Zeeland refinery in the Netherlands by re-acquiring the 45% stake previously held by Russia's Lukoil. The transaction follows U.S. sanctions imposed on Lukoil in October 2024 aimed at pressuring Russia over the Ukraine conflict, which prompted Lukoil to sell its assets. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• Lukoil originally purchased its 45% stake in the Zeeland refinery from Total for approximately $725 million in 2009 during a Russian state visit, in a deal seen as expanding Moscow's influence in northwest Europe
• U.S. Treasury sanctions on Lukoil in October 2024 forced the company to launch a sale of its assets, though the Zeeland refinery was not formally subject to sanctions as Lukoil held only a minority stake
• TotalEnergies CEO previously attributed challenges in profitable refining to sanctions on Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft, with the company expecting weak profit margins for European refining in Q4 2025

The delayed January jobs report, set for Wednesday release, is expected to show minimal or zero job growth, with economists forecasting around 55,000 new positions or less. Additionally, annual benchmark revisions could erase 600,000 to 900,000 previously reported jobs from the past year, significantly undermining confidence in labor market strength and potentially influencing Federal Reserve policy decisions.

• Economists predict January nonfarm payrolls growth near zero (consensus: 55,000), with some forecasting as low as 45,000, while unemployment is expected to hold at 4.4%
• Annual benchmark revisions may eliminate 600,000-900,000 jobs from prior reports (March 2024-2025), with every 2025 month already revised down by a total of 624,000 jobs
• White House officials are preemptively lowering expectations, citing immigration policy impacts and AI-driven productivity gains that reduce hiring needs despite economic growth

Estee Lauder filed a lawsuit against Walmart in California federal court alleging the retailer sold counterfeit beauty products from brands including La Mer, Le Labo, Clinique, Aveda, and Tom Ford on its online marketplace. While the products were sold by third-party sellers, Estee Lauder claims Walmart actively facilitated sales and failed to adequately vet sellers and products, calling the conduct 'despicable.' The lawsuit follows a CNBC investigation that exposed counterfeit goods on Walmart.com.

• Estee Lauder purchased and tested products sold on Walmart.com that were determined to be counterfeit, including Advanced Night Repair serum and various other branded items across multiple luxury beauty lines.
• The lawsuit alleges Walmart profited from counterfeit sales, used Estee Lauder trademarks in search optimization, and misled shoppers who would reasonably believe Walmart itself was the seller rather than third-party marketplace vendors.
• The case highlights risks in Walmart's marketplace growth strategy, which has been key to its profit expansion and recent $1 trillion market cap milestone, but exposes the company to liability that could erode customer trust.

Stellantis is seeking to exit its U.S. battery joint venture with Samsung SDI as the automaker scales back electric vehicle ambitions, according to Bloomberg News. The move follows Stellantis reporting over $26.5 billion in writedowns last week. No final decision has been made, and an exit could be costly and lengthy.

• Stellantis reported more than $26.5 billion in writedowns last week, driving the reassessment of its EV strategy
• The automaker is exploring divestment options including selling its stake to a third party, though the process could be expensive and time-consuming
• Stellantis stated it continues to have 'ongoing collaborative discussions' with Samsung on the future of their StarPlus Energy joint venture

Polish arms manufacturer Niewiadow-PGM signed a framework agreement with U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman to produce 155mm artillery ammunition in Poland, primarily targeting the European market. The deal covers cooperation on preparation, production, certification, and market introduction, though financial terms were not disclosed. The 155mm shell is widely used by Ukraine but has been in short supply.

• The partnership involves Niewiadow and its subsidiaries Elaboracja Niewiadow and Zaklady Sprzetu Precyzyjnego Niewiadow in joint production efforts
• The first cooperation area focuses on 155mm artillery shells currently at an advanced stage of preparation for certification
• The agreement aims to develop production capacity in Poland and enable joint market initiatives for ready-made ammunition solutions in Europe