OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, is under intense pressure in 2026 after burning through about $9 billion last year and projections pointing to a possible $17 billion cash burn this year. Despite reporting more than $20 billion in 2025 revenue and claiming around 800 million weekly users, only a small fraction pay, while the firm is tied to $1.4 trillion in data center commitments. Investors are increasingly focused on costs, monetization and a potential IPO targeted for late 2026 or early 2027, amid growing competition from rivals like Anthropic and shifting market sentiment on AI funding.

Intel's stock dropped 6% in after-hours trading on January 22, 2026 after the company issued a weaker-than-expected Q1 revenue and profit forecast. The chipmaker reported adjusted Q4 earnings of $0.15 per share on $13.7 billion in revenue, but also disclosed a $600 million net loss and guided Q1 sales to a range of $11.7 billion to $12.7 billion with breakeven adjusted EPS. Investors were also discouraged by stalled progress in attracting major external foundry clients, despite recent backing from Nvidia, SoftBank and the U.S. government.

On January 22, 2026, Donald Trump warned in Davos that any European move to unload U.S. financial assets would prompt strong economic retaliation. His comments followed tariff tensions tied to Greenland and chatter about large‑scale selling, even as a draft framework paused new tariffs and outlined missile deployments and mineral restrictions on the island.

On January 22, 2026, Elon Musk joined Larry Fink on stage at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos for his first appearance there, discussing AI, robotics, energy and space. Musk argued that AI and humanoid robots could unlock "sustainable abundance" but warned that electricity, not chips, may become the main bottleneck as global power capacity grows slower than AI compute demand. He emphasized SpaceX's mission to make life multi-planetary and described future robots caring for children and elderly parents, while predicting more robots than humans over time.

Ubisoft's shares dropped 33% on Thursday morning after the company announced a broad restructuring that includes shutting two studios and canceling six games. On Wednesday night, Ubisoft said it expects a €1 billion operating loss for the financial year ending 2026 and a €650 million restructuring impact, while cutting its net bookings outlook to €1.5 billion.

On January 22 2026, US lawmakers advanced the AI Overwatch Act to tighten oversight of advanced AI chip exports linked to Donald Trump's plan for Nvidia sales to China. The bill, which passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee, would require congressional approval for sensitive AI chips that could enhance foreign military capabilities and targets potential sales to Chinese firms such as Alibaba and Tencent.

In November, China reduced its U.S. Treasury holdings to $682.6 billion, the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis, while foreign ownership of Treasuries climbed to a record $9.355 trillion. Over the same period, China confirmed more than 1,000 tons of new domestic gold resources in Hunan and additional reserves near Laizhou in Shandong, pushing that region's total above 3,900 tons. Other major buyers such as Japan, the UK, and Canada increased their U.S. debt exposure as China shifted further toward hard assets and equities.

South Korea's Kospi index briefly moved above 5,000 for the first time on Thursday before ending at 4,952.53, after gaining nearly 20% in January. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have surged to almost threefold and fourfold their levels of a year ago, lifting the benchmark as President Lee Jae Myung advances governance changes and dividend-focused incentives. While foreign and institutional investors drove the rally, many domestic retail investors exited the market amid slowing economic growth.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament froze approval of a transatlantic trade agreement reached last July, citing Donald Trump's Greenland push and proposed 10%–25% tariffs on EU goods. After the suspension, Trump said he would not impose tariffs scheduled for February 1 while Greenland talks continue. EU trade chair Bernd Lange flagged potential use of the Anti‑Coercion Instrument.