Trending Market News

Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, according to a New York Times report citing unnamed officials. The investigation represents an unprecedented development involving the head of the U.S. central bank. Details about the nature and scope of the investigation have not been disclosed.

• This marks a highly unusual criminal probe targeting a sitting Federal Reserve Chair, potentially impacting monetary policy credibility
• The investigation details, including specific allegations or charges being examined, remain undisclosed as this is breaking news
• Powell currently leads the Fed during a critical period of monetary policy decisions affecting inflation and interest rates

Low-cost airline Allegiant will acquire Sun Country Airlines in a deal valued at approximately $1.5 billion, including debt, the companies announced on Sunday. The acquisition represents consolidation in the budget airline sector as carriers seek scale and market position.

• The transaction values Sun Country Airlines at $1.5 billion including debt
• Both companies operate in the low-cost carrier segment of the U.S. airline industry
• The deal was announced on January 11, 2026, and represents a significant consolidation move in the budget airline market

Walmart and Google announced a partnership allowing shoppers to discover and buy products from Walmart and Sam's Club through Google's AI assistant Gemini. This follows a similar deal Walmart made with OpenAI's ChatGPT in October, as the retail giant adapts to customers increasingly using AI chatbots for shopping inspiration and convenience.

• Incoming Walmart CEO John Furner and Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the partnership at the National Retail Federation's Big Show, though no launch date was provided
• Walmart previously launched Instant Checkout with ChatGPT in October and has its own AI assistant called Sparky on its app
• The partnership represents a strategic shift as customer shopping searches increasingly start on AI chatbots rather than retailer apps or websites, changing Walmart's digital strategy

Qatar and the UAE will join the U.S.-led 'Pax Silica' initiative aimed at securing AI and semiconductor supply chains, with Qatar signing on January 12 and the UAE on January 15. The program seeks to safeguard the full technology supply chain and represents a strategic shift for Middle Eastern nations from energy dependence toward a technology-driven economy. This is part of the Trump administration's economic statecraft strategy to reduce reliance on rival nations and strengthen allied partnerships.

• Pax Silica membership includes Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Britain, and Australia, with Qatar and UAE becoming the first Gulf states to join this 'coalition of capabilities' based on each country's industrial strengths.
• The U.S. and Israel plan to launch 'Fort Foundry One' industrial park in Israel on January 16, along with a tentative AI cooperation memorandum, as part of a Pax Silica-linked Strategic Framework.
• For the UAE and Qatar, this marks a strategic pivot from a 'hydrocarbon-centric security architecture to one focused on silicon statecraft,' aiming to accelerate the Middle East's economic diversification beyond energy.

Boeing is set to report its highest annual airplane deliveries since 2018, marking a significant recovery after years of production slowdowns, safety crises, and quality issues. The manufacturer is now planning to increase production of 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft in 2026, with improved operational stability earning back FAA confidence and customer trust. This turnaround could help Boeing return to profitability in 2025 after seven years of losses.

• Boeing delivered 537 aircraft through November 2024 (estimated 598 total for the year), far exceeding 2023's 528 but still below 2018's 806 deliveries. The FAA raised the 737 Max production cap from 38 to 42 per month in October 2024.
• The company has stabilized production through manufacturing reforms including reduced 'traveled work' (out-of-sequence tasks), added training, and completion of Spirit AeroSystems acquisition in December 2024 for better supplier control.
• Boeing logged 1,000 gross orders through November 2024 versus Airbus's 797, with strong demand continuing into the 2030s. Alaska Airlines ordered 105 Max 10s, signaling renewed customer confidence, while wide-body demand accelerates due to robust international travel at 84% load factors globally.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order blocking courts and creditors from seizing Venezuelan oil revenue held in U.S. Treasury accounts. The order, signed following the recent U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, declares the funds sovereign property meant to promote stability in Venezuela. Multiple oil companies including Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips have longstanding claims worth billions against Venezuela.

• The order protects Venezuelan oil revenue in U.S. custody from private claims by companies like Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, which are owed billions after their assets were nationalized nearly 20 years ago
• A U.S. agreement with Venezuela's interim leaders would provide up to 50 million barrels of crude oil to American refineries specially equipped to process it
• Trump signed the order the same day he met with executives from Exxon, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and other oil companies to encourage $100 billion in investments in Venezuela's oil industry

A severe shortage of computer memory (RAM) is driving unprecedented price increases, with DRAM prices expected to rise 50-55% this quarter versus Q4 2025. The shortage stems from AI chip makers like Nvidia, AMD, and Google consuming massive amounts of specialized high-bandwidth memory (HBM), leaving insufficient supply for consumer electronics. Major memory suppliers including Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung control the market and report being sold out through 2026.

• Producing one bit of HBM memory for AI chips requires forgoing three bits of conventional memory, as AI servers like Nvidia's NVL72 need up to 288GB of HBM per GPU versus 8-12GB in typical smartphones
• Memory now accounts for about 20% of laptop hardware costs, up from 10-18% in early 2025, with companies like Dell warning they cannot avoid passing price increases to customers
• Micron reports being 'sold out for 2026' and is building new factories in Idaho (2027-2028) and New York (2030) to address the supply gap, while its stock has surged 247% over the past year

President Trump called for a one-year cap on credit card interest rates at 10% starting January 20, 2026, via social media but provided no details on implementation or enforcement mechanisms. The proposal, which he also made during his 2024 campaign, would require congressional approval and has drawn bipartisan interest from lawmakers concerned about high rates. Critics, including billionaire Bill Ackman, warn the cap could force lenders to cancel cards for millions of consumers.

• Trump's announcement lacked details on how companies would be compelled to comply, and similar proposals from Senators Sanders and Hawley, as well as Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Luna, have not yet become law despite bipartisan support
• Major credit card issuers including American Express, Capital One, JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Bank of America did not immediately comment on the proposal
• Bill Ackman called the plan a 'mistake,' warning that lenders unable to charge rates adequate to cover losses would cancel cards for millions, forcing consumers to turn to loan sharks charging higher rates

The FAA has approved Boeing's 737 MAX 10, its largest variant, to advance to the second phase of flight testing in its delayed certification process. Boeing has over 1,200 orders for the MAX 10 and executives expect certification completion this year, though a critical engine deicing issue remains unresolved. The approval is seen as essential for Boeing to increase revenue and cash flow, as the MAX 10 competes directly with Airbus' A321neo.

• Boeing holds more than 1,200 orders for the MAX 10 in its backlog, with deliveries viewed as critical to improving the company's revenue and cash flow
• Phase two testing approval covers avionics and propulsion systems, but the engine deicing issue affecting both MAX 7 and MAX 10 variants has not been resolved
• Boeing cannot begin production at its Everett, Washington plant until full certification is achieved, and the MAX 7 variant did not receive approval to advance testing

Amazon has proposed building a 229,000-square-foot big-box retail store in Orland Park, Illinois, which would be larger than a typical Walmart Supercenter. The facility would offer groceries, household essentials, and general merchandise, along with warehouse space and pickup areas for delivery drivers. This marks Amazon's latest physical retail experiment as it continues expanding its brick-and-mortar presence beyond its $13.7 billion Whole Foods acquisition.

• The proposed store at 229,000 square feet would exceed Walmart's typical Supercenter size of 179,000 square feet
• Orland Park's plan commission approved the proposal on Tuesday, with a full village board vote scheduled for January 19
• Some local residents have expressed concerns about potential traffic impacts in the surrounding area

Trafigura plans to load its first vessel of Venezuelan oil for export to the United States next week, according to CEO Richard Holtum's announcement to President Trump at the White House. This marks a significant development in U.S.-Venezuela energy relations, as commodities traders Vitol and Trafigura are working with the U.S. government on deals to sell Venezuelan crude globally.

• Trafigura CEO Richard Holtum confirmed the timeline directly to President Trump during a White House meeting on Friday
• Both Trafigura and Vitol are negotiating with the U.S. government for broader deals to sell Venezuelan crude oil around the world
• This represents the resumption of Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. market through major commodities trading houses

Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods indicated the company is open to reentering Venezuela's oil sector, stating the company could 'hit the ground running' if conditions allow. Woods emphasized the need to deploy a technical team to assess the current state of Venezuela's oil industry. The comments were made during a White House meeting with President Trump and other oil executives on Friday.

• Woods stated it is 'absolutely critical' to get a technical team in place to evaluate Venezuela's current oil infrastructure and industry conditions
• The announcement came during a White House meeting between President Trump and oil company executives
• Exxon is considering potentially returning to Venezuela, where it previously had operations before exiting the country

Three Democratic senators are urging Apple and Google to remove Elon Musk's X and Grok apps from their app stores until xAI addresses concerns about users creating and sharing likely illegal content, including AI-generated explicit images. The controversy has sparked international regulatory probes, though U.S. agencies have not yet announced investigations. This comes as xAI recently closed a $20 billion funding round amid the backlash.

• Senators Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, and Ben Ray Lujan sent letters to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai demanding app suspension until Musk addresses 'disturbing and likely illegal activities'
• Grok has been used to generate inappropriate AI images, including one case where a Holocaust survivor's descendant was 'digitally stripped' in an image at Auschwitz, prompting regulatory probes in Europe, Malaysia, Australia, and India
• xAI recently closed a $20 billion funding round from investors including Nvidia and AMD, while three xAI safety team members reportedly left after Musk demanded fewer safeguards on Grok's features

OpenAI and SoftBank Group announced a $1 billion investment in SB Energy to support AI infrastructure expansion. The investment is part of the $500 billion Stargate commitment announced at the White House in January 2025. SB Energy will build and operate a 1.2 gigawatt data center in Milam County, Texas for OpenAI.

• SB Energy, backed by SoftBank and Ares Management, will construct and operate OpenAI's 1.2 gigawatt data center site in Milam County, Texas
• The investment builds on the $500 billion Stargate commitment between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle announced by President Trump
• The partnership leverages SB Energy's data center infrastructure expertise with OpenAI's engineering capabilities to rapidly scale AI compute capacity

President Donald Trump disclosed portions of the December 2025 jobs data in a social media post Thursday evening, approximately 12 hours before the official Friday release, apparently violating Office of Management and Budget policy that prohibits executive branch officials from commenting on such data until 30 minutes after publication. The premature disclosure revealed private sector payroll growth figures that could have allowed traders to estimate the official numbers ahead of the market-moving release.

• Trump's post revealed private sector payrolls expanded by 654,000 for full-year 2025, indirectly disclosing December's data before the official 8:30 AM release
• The official December jobs report showed nonfarm payrolls increased 50,000, with 48,000 from private sector, slightly below estimates but easing concerns about steeper employment declines
• OMB policy explicitly prohibits executive branch officials from commenting on statistical releases early, with a mandatory 30-minute waiting period after official publication

Amazon Pharmacy announced it is now selling Novo Nordisk's Wegovy weight-loss pill, recently approved by the FDA in December, through both insurance and cash-pay options. Customers with commercial insurance can access the medication for $25 per month, while uninsured customers can purchase it starting at $149 monthly. The pill contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient found in injectable Wegovy and Ozempic.

• Insured customers pay $25 for a one-month supply while cash-pay customers pay starting at $149 per month
• The Wegovy pill will be available through Amazon Pharmacy kiosks in the coming weeks
• The FDA approved the 25-milligram semaglutide pill in December 2025, offering an oral alternative to the injectable versions

Humanoid robots dominated CES 2026 in Las Vegas, with major tech companies including Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm, and Google's DeepMind unveiling AI-powered robotics innovations. The industry is leveraging generative AI breakthroughs to enable robots with human-level capabilities, though commercial implementation remains years away. McKinsey projects the general-purpose robotics market could reach $370 billion by 2040.

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced new vision language models for humanoid robots and predicted robots with human-level capabilities in 2026, calling it the industry's 'ChatGPT moment'
• Major chipmakers AMD, Qualcomm, and Nvidia are positioning themselves as one-stop shops for robot development, offering complete software ecosystems beyond just hardware chips
• Consumer robots like LG's CLOiD and China's Unitree G1 ($70,000) are emerging, but analysts warn of significant safety concerns and slow performance, with home deployment still far from practical reality

The Swiss National Bank reported a 26 billion Swiss franc ($33 billion) profit for 2025, driven primarily by a 36.3 billion franc gain on gold holdings as prices surged 64%. The profit was offset by a 9 billion franc loss on foreign currency positions due to the strengthening Swiss franc, particularly against the U.S. dollar which fell 13% against the franc.

• The SNB's gold profit of 36.3 billion francs was its highest ever, boosted by a 64% rise in gold prices as investors sought safe-haven assets amid global economic turmoil from Trump tariffs
• Foreign exchange movements cost the SNB an estimated 55 billion francs, with losses on foreign currency positions (37% held in U.S. dollar assets) eroding gains from equity markets
• The 2025 profit ranked among the top five in the SNB's 119-year history, though down from the record 80.7 billion franc profit in 2024

Aktis Oncology, a cancer drug developer, priced its upsized U.S. initial public offering at $18 per share on Thursday. The company is targeting a valuation of up to $945.4 million through the IPO, marking a significant capital raise in the healthcare sector.

• The IPO was upsized, indicating stronger-than-expected investor demand for the cancer drug developer's shares
• Share price set at $18 per share, with the company aiming for a market valuation of up to $945.4 million
• The offering represents a notable capital raise in the oncology pharmaceutical space amid ongoing healthcare innovation

Johnson & Johnson announced it has reached an agreement with the Trump administration to reduce drug prices for American consumers in return for exemptions from U.S. tariffs. The deal represents a negotiated trade-off between pharmaceutical pricing and trade policy under the current administration.

• J&J will cut drug prices for Americans as part of the agreement with the Trump administration
• In exchange for lowering prices, the company will receive exemptions from U.S. tariffs
• The deal reflects the administration's strategy of using tariff policy as leverage to negotiate lower pharmaceutical costs