Market Update

Recent actions by Beijing targeting foreign cybersecurity vendors have rattled markets, but major U.S. firms maintain their exposure to China is minimal and the broader financial impact appears contained.Industry leaders have been quick to clarify their positions. CrowdStrike emphasized that it has no direct sales, offices, or infrastructure in China, …

U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Thursday, snapping a two-session losing streak as investors drew cautious optimism from easing geopolitical tensions and a fresh round of major bank earnings. By 05:50 ET, Dow Jones futures were up 60 points, or 0.1%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.4%, and Nasdaq 100 …

Morgan Stanley capped off 2025 with a robust fourth-quarter performance, beating market expectations on both revenue and profit as investment banking activity rebounded sharply. The U.S. investment bank reported net revenues of $17.9 billion for the quarter, ahead of analysts’ forecasts of $17.72 billion. Earnings per share came in at …

Bitcoin rose on Thursday, extending a recent recovery as markets digested developments around a proposed U.S. bill aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency. The world’s largest crypto rebounded from a sluggish start to the year after top corporate holder Strategy disclosed a major purchase this week. Still, Bitcoin …

The U.S. dollar edged higher on Thursday, continuing its rebound from a shaky start to the week as expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts continued to fade. At 03:00 ET (08:00 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, rose 0.1% to …

Spain’s European Union-harmonised 12-month inflation rate eased to 3.0% in December, down from 3.2% in November, according to final data released Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The reading matched both the preliminary “flash” estimate published two weeks ago and the average forecast from analysts polled by Reuters. Core …

The U.K. economy returned to growth in November after a disappointing start to the fourth quarter, although the country’s economic prospects remain uncertain. Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that gross domestic product grew by 0.3% on the month, after contracting by 0.1% in October. On an annual …

Oil prices edged lower in Asian trading on Wednesday after the previous session’s sharp rally driven by fears of supply disruptions in Iran, as investors turned their attention to data showing a sizeable build in U.S. crude inventories. Brent futures for March slipped 0.4% to $65.19 a barrel by 01:18 …

The U.S. earnings season accelerated in mid-January as several major banks reported fourth-quarter 2025 results, offering an early test of investor confidence in the financial sector. While the numbers largely exceeded expectations, the market response told a different story. Bank shares fell, dragging broader indexes lower and signaling unease beneath …

The latest Beige Book released by the Federal Reserve highlights a gradual pickup in economic activity across most regions of the United States since mid-November. According to the survey of regional contacts, the pace of growth ranged from “slight to modest,” marking an improvement compared to the previous three reporting …