Archive: January 2026
102 articles published this month
Meta to buy AI-agent startup Manus in $2–3B deal
Meta agreed to acquire Manus, a Singapore-based AI-agent startup with Chinese roots, in a deal valued at $2–3B by a source. The move signals Big Tech’s pivot from chatbots to autonomous agents—and invites regulatory scrutiny.
Fed’s Paulson signals next rate cut may “take a while”
Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson signaled further US rate cuts may not come soon, pointing to cooling—but still above-target—inflation and a stabilizing labor market. The stance underscores divisions inside the Fed after 2025’s 75 bps of easing.
US grants annual 2026 chip-tool licenses for China fabs
The US has issued one-year 2026 licenses allowing Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC to import US chipmaking tools into their China fabs—replacing expiring waiver-like privileges. The shift keeps mature-node output running while tightening Washington’s policy leverage.
U.S. jobs report set to jolt 2026 markets
The U.S. jobs report on Jan. 9 could break the early-2026 calm as investors also price Venezuela-driven oil risk, shifting Fed-cut bets and near-term volatility.
ISM manufacturing PMI slips to 47.9 in Dec
ISM manufacturing PMI fell to 47.9 in December 2025, marking 10 straight months of contraction as tariffs, weak orders, and high input costs weighed on factories.
Avatar: Fire and Ash tops $1B box office
Avatar: Fire and Ash crossed $1 billion worldwide in early January 2026, lifting theater momentum and sharpening Disney’s earnings outlook as overseas sales led the run.
Venezuela bonds surge after Maduro capture shocks markets
Venezuela bonds jumped after the Maduro capture, rippling through oil, U.S. stocks, and sanctions policy. Traders weighed crude-flow risk, while investors priced a possible debt reset and tighter asset freezes.
AI capex risks reviving inflation, investors warn
AI capex is emerging as a 2026 market risk as investors warn the data-center and chip buildout could keep inflation sticky, limit rate cuts, and force a rotation away from crowded AI trades.
Putin Ukraine aims: force warning after Kyiv strike
Putin Ukraine aims dominated the week after Kyiv reported its first civilian deaths of 2026 in a Russian strike. In remarks aired Dec. 27–28, Putin said Russia will achieve its goals by force if Kyiv resists peace, while Moscow and Ukraine traded claims over frontline towns.
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 2, first civilian deaths of 2026
Russian strike on Kyiv killed two civilians on Jan. 5, 2026, Ukrainian officials said, marking the capital’s first reported civilian deaths of the year. A medical facility burned in Obolonskyi and 25 people were evacuated, while another person died in Fastiv amid power outages.
NLRB quorum restored as GOP majority tees up reversals
NLRB quorum is restored after the Senate confirmed new board members on Dec. 18, 2025, enabling the agency to act again in 2026. Reuters says a Trump-appointed Republican majority is poised to revisit Biden-era pro-union rulings that shaped elections, remedies, and workplace rules.
Panther Lake debuts at CES, boosting Intel’s 18A push
Panther Lake took the CES 2026 spotlight as Intel unveiled Core Ultra Series 3 laptop chips built on its 18A process. Intel and Reuters cite up to 60% better performance versus Lunar Lake, with preorders starting Jan. 6 and broader availability from Jan. 27.
BOJ rate hikes: Ueda signals more as yen weakens
BOJ rate hikes remain on the table after Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank will keep lifting rates if growth and inflation meet forecasts. The yen traded near 157 per dollar and 10-year JGB yields briefly hit about 2.125%, sharpening focus on the Jan 22–23 outlook report.
DigitalBridge acquisition: SoftBank’s $4B AI data push
DigitalBridge acquisition: SoftBank agreed to pay $16 a share in a $4B all-cash deal to scale “next-gen AI infrastructure,” signaling the capex shift toward power, data centers, and connectivity.
Saks Global readies Chapter 11 after $100M+ missed pay
Saks Global, parent of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, is preparing a Chapter 11 filing after missing an interest payment exceeding $100 million tied to acquisition financing. The crisis highlights leverage stress in luxury retail and may tighten vendor and landlord terms.
WBD poised to reject Paramount’s $108B hostile bid
Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to reject Paramount Skydance’s revised $108.4B hostile bid, despite added financing guarantees. The WBD board has favored a lower-value Netflix proposal viewed as higher-certainty, setting up a high-stakes test of deal risk.
OPEC+ holds output steady as Saudi-UAE rift simmers
OPEC+ kept oil output policy unchanged into Q1 2026, prioritizing price stability after a ~20% Brent slide in 2025. The decision comes as political strain—especially between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen—adds uncertainty without changing supply policy.
Kunlunxin IPO: Baidu unit files confidential HK listing
Kunlunxin IPO plans advanced after Baidu said its AI chip arm filed a confidential Form A1 with HKEX on Jan. 1, 2026. The proposed spin-off would use a global offering, and Kunlunxin is expected to remain a Baidu subsidiary, highlighting Hong Kong’s revived tech IPO pipeline.
EU CBAM starts definitive phase as payments begin
EU CBAM entered its definitive period on Jan. 1, 2026, shifting the carbon border tax from reporting toward paid certificates and tougher compliance. Importers of steel, cement, aluminium, electricity and more now face higher trade friction risk, with pushback rising from key partners.
Disney+ Hulu integration set for 2026 super-app
Disney+ Hulu integration is planned for 2026, folding Hulu into Disney+ to lift engagement, reduce churn, and improve ad yield. Disney is already shifting Hulu branding globally and tightening the tech stack after gaining full ownership, setting up a higher-stakes year for streaming execution.