ElevenLabs (NASDAQ: IVZ) has more than tripled its valuation to $11 billion in a $500 million funding round led by Sequoia Capital, with Andreessen Horowitz and Iconiq also participating. Andrew Reed of Sequoia will join the board.

The company plans to use proceeds to expand its conversational AI platform for customer support, training, sales and other enterprise functions, and to accelerate international expansion across over a dozen cities in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. New investors include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Evantic Capital and BOND, with additional participants potentially disclosed in March.

ElevenLabs last raised capital in early 2025 at a $3.3 billion valuation and allowed employees to sell shares at a $6.6 billion valuation in 2024. The firm has partnerships with Deutsch Telekom AG, Deliveroo Plc, Revolut and the Ukrainian government.

Feb 4, 2026 — The U.S. reauthorized the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through the end of 2026, offering a short-lived but temporary reprieve for eligible African exporters, including South Africa. The extension does not ensure long-term stability, as Trump signed a law to negate AGOA with Liberian Day tariffs, and Washington retains the authority to remove countries at any time.

Analysts warn South Africa’s inclusion remains tenuous amid fraying U.S.-South Africa relations, with Trump opposing Pretoria’s domestic equality agenda and U.S. tariffs on South African exports averaging 30%. A suspension would likely hurt the automotive sector and, to a lesser extent, agriculture, trimming GDP growth by about 0.2 percentage points.

U.S. imports from AGOA beneficiaries rose 37% since 2001, with South Africa capturing the lion’s share of benefits. The U.S. Trade Representative will modify the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to reflect the legislation. While the extension is a relief, African leaders are diversifying trade, with Nigeria deepening ties with the UAE and Kenya finalizing a deal with China.

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Market volatility in tech, driven by interest rate hikes, slowing growth, and high valuations, has created an opportune moment for investors to consider "nibbling" on fintech stocks, according to Tom Sosnoff, CEO of Tastytrade. The sector, once a market darling, now offers compelling entry points due to steep declines in share prices.

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Sosnoff, a self-proclaimed contrarian, advises investors to focus on liquidity rather than timing the market's absolute bottom. He highlights Robinhood (HOOD) and Oracle (ORCL) as examples of highly liquid stocks that have become attractively priced. Despite Oracle's retreat from its 52-week high, Sosnoff sees potential in legacy tech companies. He argues that fears of AI disrupting software companies are overblown, suggesting that integration challenges are manageable and that current pressures on software stocks are more about valuation resets than technological obsolescence.

EnFi, a Boston-based fintech, raised $15 million in venture funding to accelerate deployment of AI agents that analyze and decide on credit applications. The round, bringing total funding to $22.5 million, is led by Fintop with participation from Patriot Financial Partners, Commerce Ventures, Unusual Ventures, and Boston Seed Capital. These investors are connected to over 150 regional and community banks.

Regional and community banks have struggled with credit analyst shortages, limiting their lending capacity. EnFi’s agents adapt to each bank’s credit portfolio, automate document screening and due diligence checks, and help analyze leverage, collateral, and credit history, increasing lending volume and efficiency. The agents also help free credit analysts to focus on higher-value tasks.

U.S. stocks declined sharply on Wednesday as investors awaited Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) earnings amid renewed AI-related selloffs in software and tech. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell over 1%, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) over 2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose slightly on rotation into value and blue-chip names.

AI-driven weakness spread globally, sending Nvidia (NVDA) down over 4%, Google nearly 3%, Amazon (AMZN) over 2%, and Tesla (TSLA) more than 5%. JPMorgan said better-than-expected earnings are no longer propping the market unless companies show AI will be a tailwind. AMD shares dropped after a cautious sales outlook.

ADP private payrolls for January showed gains of 22,000 versus 45,000 expected, with the official nonfarm payrolls report pushed to next Wednesday due to a prior partial government shutdown. Gold (GC=F) rose to briefly test $5,000 but retreated, and Bitcoin (BTC-USD) near $72,000.

Pharma fortunes split: Eli Lilly (LLY) rose on upbeat 2026 guidance from weight-loss drugs, while Novo Nordisk (NVO, NOVO-B.CO) shares fell on a forecast of sharply lower sales for Ozempic and Wegovy.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) shares steady today post-quarterly results, reflecting conservative 2026 sales guidance. The stock, down slightly less than 1% amid mixed markets, signals cautious optimism amid challenging consumer trends.

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Chipotle reported flat same-store sales for 2026, maintaining plans for up to 370 new restaurants, primarily in the U.S. CFO Adam Rymer cited unpredictability in consumer trends, justifying conservative guidance. Wall Street analysts, with a mean price target of $47, see 20% upside potential. Deutsche Bank and Bank of America highlight potential catalysts, including operational efficiency and marketing, to drive stock upward.

[Para 1: The Lead] Shares of Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR) surged 8% in after-hours trading following the company's announcement of the second phase of a $200 million transformation at its Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe Hotel & Casino. The project, scheduled for completion in summer 2026, includes upgrades to the pool, meetings space, and a new bar, aiming to modernize the property while preserving its local character.

[Para 2-3: Supporting details & Context] The investment is part of Caesars' strategy to evolve into a contemporary destination. Despite the stock's volatility, with 23 moves greater than 5% over the last year, today's rise suggests the market views this as significant but not transformative. Notably, 19 days ago, Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on CZR to $27 from $29, citing less optimism about the stock's future price, which had already seen a decline of over two-thirds over the past five years. As of today, CZR is trading at $22.25, 44% below its 52-week high of $39.76.

The S&P/TSX Composite closed 19.19 points or 0.17% at 11,241.96 on February 04, 2026, reflecting volatile trading. The session saw gains early in the day followed by declines, with the tech and materials sectors posting the largest individual declines of -1.2% and -1.5%, respectively. The Bank of Canada's latest policy meeting, held on February 02, 2026, and its commitment to maintaining accommodative monetary conditions provided some support to risk-on sentiment, though investors remained cautious on inflation and global economic data. The broader market remains sensitive to central bank policy and global macroeconomic conditions.

The U.S. nonmanufacturing sector expanded in January, with business activity posting the fastest growth since October 2024 in two consecutive months. However, key sub-indexes indicate softening demand: new orders and employment growth slowed, while price pressures rose, signaling potential deceleration.

Core data: ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI = 53.8 (expansion), up from 50.0 (expansion) in December. New Orders = 53.1 (vs. 56.5); Employment = 50.3 (vs. 51.7); Prices = 66.6 (vs. 65.1).

Strength came from commercial activity (57.4, +2.2 mo/m) and sectors including healthcare, utilities, construction, and retail. Weaknesses included transportation and warehousing. New and export orders declined, with export orders at a 2.5-month low, reflecting weaker global demand amid geopolitical tensions and trade policy shifts.

Price pressures climbed to a three-month high (66.6) as tariffs and wage growth increased input costs. Supplier delivery times rose to 54.2 (vs. 51.8), logistics disruptions from cold weather contributed to longer lead times. Service sector inventories fell sharply to 45.1 (vs. 54.2), and employment growth moderated to 50.3 (vs. 51.7).

The S&P Global PMI composite index for services rose to 52.7, with business confidence weakening and consumer demand approaching a stall due to high living costs and waning consumer confidence.

BBVA, the EU’s second-largest bank with $800 billion in assets, has joined Qivalis, a consortium of lenders developing a regulated euro-pegged stablecoin to compete with dollar-based digital currencies. The group, now comprising a dozen EU banks including BNP Paribas, ING, and UniCredit, aims to issue a token backed by a consortium of trusted institutions, offering an on-chain alternative to U.S.-centric stablecoins.

Of the $300 billion global stablecoin market, only $860 million are in euros, with Tether’s $185 billion USDT and Circle Internet’s $70 billion USDC leading in U.S. dollars. The project seeks authorization from the Dutch central bank under MiCA to operate as an electronic money institution and is targeting a potential H2 2026 debut.

Indian investors are shifting to strategic, fundamentals-driven bitcoin buying, according to CoinDCX. Activity includes regular systematic investment plans (SIPs), deliberate market orders, and limit orders in BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP. Volumes rose from $269 million in December to $309 million in January as the price fell to $75,000 after reaching over $126,000 in October. Participation is moving away from speculative trading toward long-term diversification and wealth creation.

India maintains a cautious regulatory stance, taxing crypto gains at 30% without loss set-offs and imposing a 1% transaction tax. KYC and transaction reporting rules are strengthened by FIU regulations, with the Union Budget 2026 proposing tighter disclosures to curb tax evasion in virtual digital assets.

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Bitcoin (BTC) has retreated below the $74,000 mark, reflecting broader market jitters, particularly in the tech sector. This decline follows a brief recovery from Tuesday's lows, now overshadowed by concerns over artificial intelligence's potential disruption in the technology industry.

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The Nasdaq 100 index, a key barometer for tech stocks, has dropped by 1%, mirroring the sector's downturn. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV) has fallen further, down 17% in a week, as investors express apprehension about AI's disruptive potential. Crypto miners, closely tied to AI infrastructure development, have been hit hard, with Cipher Mining (CIFR), IREN, and Hut 8 (HUT) experiencing losses over 10%. This trend is exacerbated by AMD's 14% drop after missing 2026 earnings expectations. Additionally, gold, a traditional safe-haven asset, has also seen a decline, reversing earlier gains to fall below $5,000 per ounce. The ISM Services PMI held steady at 53.8, suggesting ongoing expansion in services, but private job growth has slowed significantly, with only 22,000 jobs added, far below forecasts. These developments highlight the volatility in global markets and the interconnectedness of financial sectors.

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Automakers, through the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, have endorsed the Trump administration's proposal to significantly reduce fuel economy standards. The group supports the drastic reduction in efficiency requirements but advocates for retaining credit trading mechanisms and reconsidering vehicle reclassification to maintain competitive equity in the automotive market.

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The proposal, which was published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aims to eliminate credit trading among automakers from 2028 onward and reclassifies many vehicles as cars rather than trucks, impacting compliance standards. Automakers, including General Motors, Toyota, and Ford, are requesting that NHTSA maintain credits for air conditioning efficiency and other fuel-saving technologies. NHTSA's proposal, which would reduce 2022 fuel economy standards and increase them by 0.25% to 0.5% annually through 2031, is estimated to reduce average upfront vehicle costs by $930 but increase fuel consumption by 100 billion gallons and carbon dioxide emissions by about 5% over 2050, according to NHTSA estimates.

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Six Flags, aiming to bolster visitor numbers post-missteps in 2025, introduces expanded annual passholder benefits, granting access to multiple regional parks. Effective immediately, Gold Season passholders gain access to over one park, enhancing the value proposition.

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The company has slashed the price of its Gold Season pass, currently priced at $79, to attract more passholders. This offer is temporary, priced akin to a Silver pass. The initiative targets four regions: East, West, Midwest, and Texas, with specific parks included in each. Six Flags aims to capitalize on this by offering a broader range of experiences to its passholders. Following a 9% decline in attendance in Q2 2025, shares of SFGL are up 19% year-to-date, signaling a potential recovery. The strategic move to enhance passholder benefits is a direct response to market challenges and aims to drive higher foot traffic across its parks.

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Roblox, a leader in interactive gaming, has launched 4D creation, an AI technology that enables the generation of fully functional in-game models through natural language prompts. This innovation, now in beta, significantly reduces the entry barrier for developers, aiming to boost the creation of new titles and expand the user base.

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The technology, an advancement from Roblox's earlier static 3D object generation, allows for interactive elements such as driving a vehicle with accurate physics. With over 150 million average daily active users as of the third quarter, Roblox seeks to attract more developers by simplifying the creation process. Anupam Singh, Roblox's senior vice president of engineering, emphasizes the goal of enabling players to create within games. This move is part of Roblox's broader strategy to develop AI world models, enhancing the predictability and realism of game environments. The launch follows Google's similar AI model announcement, underscoring the growing focus on AI in gaming.

Ripple has integrated with Hyperliquid, enabling institutional clients to access DeFi on-chain derivatives liquidity through its prime brokerage platform and cross-margin assets across crypto, forex, fixed income, and OTC swaps.

“This strategic extension of our prime brokerage platform into DeFi will enhance our clients' access to liquidity, providing the greater efficiency and innovation that our institutional clients demand,” said Michael Higgins, CEO of Ripple Prime International.

Hyperliquid, a leading DEX, continues expanding into prediction markets with an “outcome trading” proposal and has added perpetual futures for gold, silver, and copper. HYPE rose 33% in the last month, 4% on the day, and 3% in the past week. Meanwhile, XRP fell 20% in the past week amid broader crypto volatility affecting Bitcoin and Ethereum.

[Para 1: The Lead] Reynolds (NASDAQ:REYN) stock soared 16.1% in afternoon trading following the release of its fourth-quarter results. The company exceeded revenue estimates, with net revenue growing 1.3% year-over-year to $1.03 billion. Adjusted earnings of $0.59 per share matched market expectations, while free cash flow margins increased significantly to 19.3% from 13.8% in the same period last year.

[Para 2-3: Supporting details & Context] Despite the strong current quarter performance, Reynolds provided a cautious outlook for 2026, with guidance for full-year earnings and next quarter's revenue falling short of Wall Street estimates. The market's positive reaction underscores the importance of the company's current quarter's solid performance and robust cash generation. Reynolds's shares have been relatively stable, with significant moves exceeding 5% occurring rarely. This recent surge indicates a significant market perception shift, driven by the company's strong Q4 results. As of the publication date, REYN is up 7.4% year-to-date, trading at $24.76, still 11% below its 52-week high of $27.81.

Since October 2024, Britain’s services sector employment has declined for 18 consecutive months, the longest hiring downturn in 16 years, per S&P Global PMI data. Pubs and restaurants are hardest hit, with over 100,000 jobs lost since October 2024 amid a £26 billion tax increase, sharply higher business rates, National Insurance, minimum wage, energy, and borrowing costs. The January survey showed hiring contracting at a steeper pace as firms automate and avoid replacing leavers. The unemployment rate reached 5.1%, the highest since the pandemic, while a reading of 54 for services activity (up from 51.4 in December) signals expansion, but not job growth.

Private-sector hiring added just 22,000 jobs in January, well below economists’ average forecast of 45,000 and down from the revised 37,000 in December. The education and health services sectors accounted for the entire gain, with health care adding 74,000, per ADP.

Professional and business services lost 57,000, the sharpest decline for that sector since August 2024; manufacturing shed 8,000, continuing monthly job losses since March 2024. Annual pay growth for those staying in the labor force was 4.5% in January, up from 6.4% for job changers.

ADP revised prior months’ estimates to align with the more comprehensive Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data through March 2025. The BLS has not yet released its January jobs report schedule, with the official unemployment data report typically issued the week after the end of January.

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The U.S. Treasury confirms no adjustment to long-term bond issuance scale for at least several quarters, aligning with market expectations. However, the Treasury's Borrowing Advisory Committee (TBAC) meeting minutes reveal a $1.1 trillion funding gap from 2027 to 2028, sparking market concern. Despite unchanged issuance scale, including $580 billion of 3-year, $420 billion of 10-year, and $250 billion of 30-year bonds, the market reacts to the potential for future scale adjustments.

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According to TBAC meeting records, despite current issuance levels, market participants anticipate a slight surplus in 2026 fiscal year funding, leading to a $258 billion reduction in privately held bonds' borrowing estimates for 2026-2028. However, most traders expect a potential increase in coupon bond issuance as early as late 2026 or early 2027. The yield curve steepens post-issuance, reflecting market unease over the funding gap and expectations of earlier scale adjustments. The 2-year and 10-year Treasury yield spread expands to 70.8 basis points, higher than the previous day's 69.3 basis points, indicating cautious investor sentiment toward long-term bonds.