Indian equities surged on February 9, 2026, as the Nifty 50 index closed up 2.3% (BSE:13885, NSE:NIFTY50), following a government announcement of a trade deal extension with a key trading partner. The broader Sensex rose 1.8%. The Reserve Bank of India maintained its accommodative stance, signaling no immediate policy shifts. The trade deal is expected to boost exports and reduce import costs, supporting corporate earnings growth over the next quarter.

Fourth-quarter revenue at LoewsCorp (LOE) rose 6.2% to $2.12 billion, outpacing analyst expectations. Operating income climbed 22.1% to $304 million, while net income increased to $104 million, driving earnings per share to $0.28, up from $0.25 in the same period. The improvement followed disciplined cost management and a 12.5% decline in same-store sales, reflecting continued pressure from the broader hospitality recovery. The stock closed 1.4% higher on the report.

Blackstone (BK) has terminated its advisory partnership with Global Counsel (GLOCL), a lobbying firm led by former UK Labour peer Lord Mandelson. The move follows the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and new DOJ records showing Mandelson sought Epstein’s business after founding GLOCL in 2010.

Blackstone stated it never lobbied on behalf of the firm, though prior ties to Westminster included meetings with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Treasury leader Rachel Reeves. The firm confirmed divestiture of Mandelson’s share to remove voting rights and dividends, and CEO Benjamin Wegg-Prosser will step down.

GLOCL, which serves clients including Palantir and Nebius, has been rocked by the controversy and is led by Archie Norman, who said Mandelson has no further role. Mandelson stepped down from the firm’s board in 2024 and fully sold his stake.

Parents should act quickly to enroll eligible children in the Trump Accounts pilot under the IRS’ Form 4547 deadline tied to the 2025 tax return. Any child under 18 with a U.S. citizen SSN and opened by an authorized guardian qualifies. A one-time $1,000 federal contribution is available for children born Jan 1, 2025–Dec 31, 2028, provided the account is opened and the child is claimed as a dependent.

Authorization must be via a guardian or parent; the account opens through an authentication process after Form 4547 is submitted. The first pilot deposits are expected no earlier than July 4, 2026. Parents will receive a trustee-to-trustee rollover portal starting in May 2026 to transfer balances to their preferred brokerage.

Eligible contributions include employer (up to $2,500/year, indexed), family/friend (no deduction), and state, nonprofit, and philanthropic gifts (not counted toward the $5,000/year limit for family + employer). Funds must be invested in low-cost, broadly diversified U.S. index ETFs or mutual funds (≤0.10% expense ratio). Withdrawals are generally allowed at 18 for college or first home without penalty; earlier withdrawals may incur a 10% penalty for non-qualified expenses.

<category>Macro</category>

Oil prices fell more than 1% Monday as easing U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks reduced immediate supply disruption risks. Brent crude futures dropped 84 cents, or 1.2%, to $67.21, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 82 cents, or 1.3%, to $62.73. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil passes, remains a key focus as volatility lingers from conflicting rhetoric and Western measures to limit Russia's oil revenue, including a European ban on services supporting seaborne Russian crude exports.

Ocado is preparing to cut up to 1,000 jobs to reduce costs and improve cash flow, with potential reductions approved later this month. The online supermarket employs about 20,000 and reported a £375 million loss in 2024, with shares down over 40% in six months as warehouse contracts in North America dried up.

Headquarters are likely to be hardest hit, pending final approval. The company, known for pioneering warehouse robotics, faces renewed pressure after Kroger and Sobeys canceled or scale back sites using its automation.

Context: UK labor conditions remain严峻, with unemployment at a four-year high of 5.1% and job vacancies falling for 27 consecutive months, per the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG.

The Port of Jacksonville, Fla., is hosting a new Vehicle Processing Center under Southeast Toyota Distributors, Toyota’s (NYSE: TM) largest global independent distributor, to increase auto throughput. The $145 million project adds on-site rail connections and truck loading areas and relocates the existing operation from Talleyrand to Blount Island. When fully operational, the center will process nearly 4,000 vehicles per week, a 6% improvement over the previous facility. Jaxport handled over 500,000 vehicles in 2024, making it the busiest auto port on the East Coast, with CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) providing rail access. The new complex spans 88 acres and includes an 82,000-square-foot Accessory Installation Building with lodging and amenities for workers.

Coinbase returned to Super Bowl LX as the sole major crypto advertiser, shifting from a multi-company blitz to a single-exchange sing-along. The one-minute ad featured a Backstreet Boys karaoke-style “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” on 100 million screens, emphasizing economic freedom and financial inclusion. The approach reflects lessons from the 2022 “Crypto Bowl,” when its QR-code ad overwhelmed the site but still drove 20 million visits and won a Clio award.

Social reaction was sharply divided, with some praising nostalgia and others criticizing execution. Analysts note the messaging aligns with broader crypto narratives of authenticity, security, and inclusion, while regulators and Web3 advocates warn messaging must now focus on consumer protection, compliance, and trust rather than hype.

Investors are shifting from high-flying AI and tech to value-priced small-cap and traditional industrials amid tighter risk sentiment. The Russell 2000 outperformed broader indices, rising 3.5% last Friday while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 each gained about 1.8%. The "megacap seven" lagged, with Amazon (-2.0%) pressured by concerns over the回报 of its $200B AI capital expenditure.

Strategy views indicate a broadening of gains to sectors including energy, materials, industrials, and utilities as investors seek diversification and reduce exposure to overpriced speculative assets like gold and Bitcoin. The IGV ETF rose 3.5% on Friday but lost 9.1% for the week, reflecting continued weakness in tech software.

Analysts caution that the recent rally reflects cautious buying ahead of a potential stabilization, with ongoing doubts about how AI incumbents generate profits and the displacement impact on traditional industries. The market is increasingly fragmented, with defensive stocks outperforming and flows favoring cyclical industrials over stagnant tech.

NatWest announced the acquisition of Evelyn Partners for £2.7 billion, its largest deal in nearly 20 years, effective February 9, 2026. The FTSE 100 bank will bolster wealth management services for its 20 million customers and expand fee-driven income. Evelyn, formed in 2020 from the merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson, has £63 billion in assets under management and 156,000 clients. The deal is expected to increase NatWest’s AUM to £127 billion, add about £100 million in immediate cost savings and £150 million over time, and lift fee income by roughly 20%. It also enhances competition with Lloyds and complements its Coutts wealth management platform.

Meta Platforms Inc. (META) criticized European Union regulators for proposing to block AI rivals on its WhatsApp Business API under antitrust charges. In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said there is no justification for the EU to intervene, noting that AI tools are available through app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and industry partnerships. The Commission’s logic was characterized as incorrectly assuming the API is a key distribution channel for chatbots.

Japan defense stocks rallied Monday on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s LDP victory, which cleared the path for accelerating defense reforms and potentially revisiting the constitution to permit a formal right to possess a military. Kawasaki Heavy Industries (7012.T) climbed as much as 17% to an intraday high, while IHI (7011.T) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries rose over 5%.

The LDP won a two-thirds majority in the lower house, signaling easier passage of legislation, including looser weapon-export regulations that could expand overseas opportunities for Japanese defense firms. Public support is high, with a Cabinet Office poll showing 45% backing strengthening the Self-Defense Forces.

“The super-majority will make constitutional revision—and随之而来的 defense liberalization—more likely, driving positive sentiment for defense names,” said Hiroshi Namioka, chief strategist at T&amp;D Asset Management.

Japanese stocks surged to record highs Monday, February 9, 2026, as PM Sanae Takaichi’s landslide election victory in Tokyo fueled expectations of expanded government spending. The Nikkei 225 closed at 56,363.94, up 3.9%, and the Topix reached 3,783.57, up 2.3%. Tech and machinery led gains, with chip-equipment makers rising over 10% and Kawasaki Heavy Industries climbing 16% after upbeat earnings.

Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party victory is expected to reduce coalition constraints, enabling fiscal expansion in AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, and defense through 2028. Advisors lifted their year-end Nikkei target to 61,000 from 60,000, citing higher bond yields, potential defense spending increases, and a temporary reduction in the food-related consumption tax. Real estate and construction stocks also outperformed.

Gold (GC=F) surged above $5,000 per ounce on Monday as dip-buying returned to the choppy market, recovering 1.7% in Asian trading. The precious metal has since recouped about half of the roughly 20% decline since its Jan. 29 all-time high. Silver rose as much as 6% to $82.32 an ounce, while platinum was flat and palladium gained.

Chinese central bank purchases continued, with the People's Bank of China extending gold buying for 15 consecutive months, signaling resilient official demand. Chinese regulators are advising financial institutions to limit US Treasury holdings amid concerns over concentration and volatility.

Gold climbed to $5,038.39 as of 2:12 p.m. Singapore time. The January jobs report is scheduled for Wednesday and inflation data for Friday, with traders closely watching for guidance on the Federal Reserve’s policy direction and independence.

Private equity consortium led by FedEx (NYSE: FDX) agreed to acquire InPost in an all-cash offer valued at 7.8 billion euros ($9.2 billion). The deal, valued at 15.60 euros per share, represents a 50% premium to InPost’s Jan. 2 closing price of 10.40 euros. FedEx will own a 37% stake, with Advent also holding 37%, and A&amp;R and PPF owning 16% and 10%, respectively.

InPost, a leader in out-of-home parcel delivery with 61,000 lockers and 34,000+ drop-off points, serves over 100,000 e-commerce sellers and posted parcel volumes of 1.4 billion in 2025, up 25% from the prior year. The acquisition is expected to close in H2 2026, with most funding coming from equity and a portion from borrowing. If InPost accepts a competing offer, it will pay a $78 million termination fee. The transaction is expected to strengthen last-mile delivery and expand FedEx’s footprint in key European markets.

South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) is intensifying oversight of crypto markets following Bithumb’s Feb 2, 2026, operational blunder that mistakenly distributed about $44B in bitcoin to users. The FSS will probe high-risk practices such as whale-driven price manipulation, pump-and-draw schemes, and issues with deposits/withdrawals, and will deploy AI to analyze trade and text data at second and minute intervals.

The error mistakenly credited some users with 2,000 BTC instead of promotional rewards, exceeding Bithumb’s total holdings by 10 times. Bitcoin prices on the exchange fell 30% below the global average as affected users sold the assets; Bithumb restricted trading and withdrawals for 695 customers within 35 minutes and later waived fees and offered restitution plus 10% for panic sales.

The FSS will report details to the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee on Feb 13, 2026, and may conduct on-site inspections of exchanges with deficient internal controls. It is also preparing to enforce the Basic Digital Asset Act, introducing stricter penalties for IT incidents and elevating security accountability for executives.

Bitcoin closed below $70,000 at $69,864 on February 09, 2026, following a volatile week that saw it drop to $60,033 and later rally above $70,000. The plunge lifted the Bitcoin Volatility Implied Volatility Index to 97%, its highest intraday level since 2022.

Analysts note the broader selloff purged speculative froth, with U.S. Bitcoin ETF inflows reaching $221 million on February 06. If Bitcoin remains above its $58,000 200-week moving average, technicals suggest support at $60,000 and resistance at $73,000–$75,000, with a break above $75,000 potentially opening the path to $81,000.

Brent crude futures fell 0.8% to $82.30 per barrel on February 9, 2026, as easing supply constraints and a moderation in OPEC+ production plans reduced price pressure. U.S. crude (WTI) also declined, closing at $80.10 per barrel, reflecting reduced risk of tightness. The easing follows a meeting where OPEC+ signaled a potential increase in output, with the group planning to raise production by 200,000 barrels per day in March. Analysts note that global oil stocks remain at five-year highs, tempering upside potential.

Gold futures rise 7.5% on February 9, 2026, as the U.S. dollar weakens against major currencies. The dollar index closed at 101.23, down 0.8% from 102.04 on February 8. Weak dollar conditions drive safe-haven demand, lifting prices for gold and silver. Benchmark gold for April delivery closed at $2,341.50 per ounce, up $17.20, while silver ended at $30.80 per ounce, up $0.40. Traders attribute the rally to expectations of accommodative U.S. monetary policy and geopolitical uncertainties.

EU competition regulators charged Meta Platforms with breaching antitrust rules by blocking artificial intelligence rivals from its messaging service WhatsApp and threatened to impose interim measures, following the Jan 15 policy allowing only Meta AI on WhatsApp.

The European Commission stated it had issued a statement of objections to Meta for alleged violations and intends to seek interim measures to prevent the policy from causing serious, irreparable harm to the market, subject to Meta's reply and right of defense.

The Commission said its decision on interim measures will depend on Meta's response and its rights of defense.