Finance

KEY POINTS  Mobile app marketing provider Liftoff Mobile said Thursday it is seeking a valuation of up to $5.17 billion as it prepares for an initial public offering in the United States, marking another major listing from private equity giant Blackstone as IPO activity accelerates in 2026. The proposed Liftoff Mobile IPO underscores a broader … Read more

KEY POINTS  Patrick James, founder of First Brands Group, and his brother Edward James, a former executive, were indicted Thursday in Manhattan federal court for allegedly defrauding lenders of billions of dollars before the auto parts company collapsed into bankruptcy last year.  The indictment, filed by federal prosecutors in New York, alleges a series of … Read more

KEY POINTS  Bitcoin hovered near $88,000 at the end of January, risking its first four-month losing streak since the 2018-2019 bear market, as ongoing price declines, institutional activity and US policy ambiguity weigh on market sentiment.  The cryptocurrency has declined roughly 36 percent from recent peaks, with October through December 2025 already showing negative returns. … Read more

KEY POINTS  US stocks fell sharply Thursday as a steep post earnings drop in Microsoft sent technology shares lower, pulling the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 into the red amid heightened geopolitical tensions and cautious Federal Reserve policy signals. The stock market today reflected a decisive shift away from risk as investors reassessed the outlook … Read more

KEY POINTS  NEW YORK — Spot gold surged roughly 4 percent on Wednesday, approaching $5,400 an ounce as investors sought refuge amid geopolitical uncertainty and market volatility.  The rally extended into late January, drawing renewed interest in silver, platinum, and palladium, while traders weighed the Federal Reserve’s steady interest rate stance against the prospects for … Read more

KEY POINTS  Austin, Texas — Tesla Inc. said Wednesday it plans to invest approximately $2 billion in Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI, signaling a strategic pivot toward autonomy and robotics as traditional vehicle sales face growing pressure.  The announcement accompanies the discontinuation of Tesla’s long running Model S and Model X sedans, which Musk … Read more

KEY POINTS  Microsoft reported stronger than expected quarterly earnings late Wednesday while revealing record spending on artificial intelligence hardware. Underscoring the scale and cost of its global AI expansion as investors question how quickly those investments will translate into sustained profit growth. The results, released Jan. 29, showed Microsoft continuing to outpace much of Big … Read more

KEY POINTS  Meta Platforms Inc. reported stronger than expected fourth quarter earnings Wednesday and unveiled plans to spend as much as $135 billion on artificial intelligence infrastructure in 2026, sending Meta stock sharply higher in after hours trading. The earnings report marked one of Meta’s most consequential financial updates in years, signaling both confidence in … Read more

KEY POINTS  Cloudflare Inc. shares surged Tuesday in New York trading as investor attention focused on viral developer buzz around an autonomous AI agent known as Clawdbot, with markets now turning to the company’s Feb. 10 earnings for evidence that AI driven traffic is translating into revenue growth. Cloudflare stock climbed roughly 11 percent in … Read more

KEY POINTS  Amazon said Tuesday it will close its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go brick and mortar grocery stores across the United States. A move that directly affects four Amazon Fresh locations in New Jersey but leaves unanswered which, if any, will be converted into Whole Foods Market stores. The decision marks a significant shift … Read more