Business
Anthropic released a new AI agent, prompting a global sell-off that erased roughly $300 billion in market value from software and B2B service stocks, analysts said.
Elon Musk merged SpaceX with his AI firm xAI, creating a combined private valuation and pushing his estimated net worth past $800 billion.
Gold and silver prices rose in global markets as investors sought safe havens amid U.S.–Iran tensions and dollar turbulence that also kept oil traders on edge.
Eurozone inflation fell in January, driven largely by lower energy prices, ahead of the ECB's Thursday policy meeting, though outlets conflicted on the exact January rate.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley told a Senate committee that investigators uncovered nearly 900 Credit Suisse accounts tied to Nazi-era assets, prompting renewed scrutiny of UBS.
UBS posted a roughly 50% profit rise to $7.8 billion, raised its dividend and announced $3 billion of buybacks during Credit Suisse integration, while capital questions remained and shares fell.
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran resigned from his White House economic advisory post, ending a controversial dual role that drew criticism for conflicts as his Fed term continued.
Novo Nordisk shares plunged on Copenhagen’s stock market after the company warned of a double‑digit sales decline for Ozempic and Wegovy, citing "unprecedented pricing pressure."
CK Hutchison initiated arbitration against Panama after the country’s top court annulled its concession for two Panama Canal ports, and Beijing warned Panama would pay a "heavy price."
Swiss drugmaker Novartis said its 2025 net profit rose to $17.4 billion and its CEO’s pay increased about 30% to roughly 25 million francs.
Norwegian energy company Equinor reported a $6.2 billion adjusted operating profit in the fourth quarter and said it would reduce shareholder distributions and scale back investments in 2026.
Italy's antitrust authority fined eDreams €9 million for misleading commercial practices, finding the travel company used dark-pattern techniques on its website and app to press customers into Prime subscriptions.
Good cocoa harvests in West Africa pushed commodity prices down and made some supermarket-brand chocolate in Germany slightly cheaper, though experts said prices were unlikely to return to previous levels.
The United States and Mexico agreed a new water pact to address drought-related U.S. water shortfalls after U.S. pressure, including from former President Donald Trump, officials said.
PayPal replaced CEO Alex Chriss after a disappointing quarter, its shares plunged, and the company named Enrique Lores to succeed him in March, Spiegel reported.
Infineon acquired parts of ams-Osram's sensor business for €570 million, buying its non-optical automotive, industrial and medical sensor units as ams-Osram sought to cut debt.
Banco Santander agreed to buy Webster Financial for about $12.2 billion, boosting the Spanish bank’s U.S. retail foothold and aiming to scale its Northeast operations.
The Walt Disney Company named Josh D'Amaro its new chief executive, to succeed Bob Iger and take charge in March, tasked with reviving parks, studios and AI-era strategy.
