Software stocks have dropped 15% since the start of January 2026, marking their weakest year-opening performance since 2022. A new AI product from Anthropic unveiled on January 12 triggered renewed concern over disruption, hitting names like Intuit, Adobe, Salesforce and widening the gap with surging chipmakers that are forecast to deliver far stronger profit growth.

French President Emmanuel Macron intends to ask the European Union to trigger its anti-coercion instrument after US President Donald Trump announced a 10% tariff on products from eight European nations starting February 1. Trump has also warned that tariffs could rise to 25% in June unless a deal is reached for the purchase of Greenland, putting the recently finalized but not fully approved EU-US trade agreement in jeopardy. EU ambassadors and European political leaders are now weighing potential responses, including possible countermeasures against the United States.

Lumen Technologies' stock climbed 46.3% in 2025 versus the S&P 500's 16.4%, aided by August and October partnerships with the Pac‑12 broadcaster and Palantir ($200 million). Early 2026 shares are up about 8.8%, with earnings due February 3, 2026. Lumen targets 47 million total fiber miles by end‑2028, while analysts' median price target stands at $7.56.

On January 18, 2026, Tencent Holdings urged major tech firms to collaborate on improving chatbots and digital assistants for seniors, left-behind children, and other vulnerable users. The company's research team is developing specialized training data and reports that leading Chinese and U.S. models, including Hunyuan, underperform on sensitive topics such as sex education.

On January 18, 2026, Chartbeat data covering 2,756 news sites, including 797 in the U.S., showed a sharp year-over-year drop in Google search referrals: down 33% worldwide and 38% in the United States. The analysis also flagged declines from Google Discover, Facebook, and X, while Google disputed the methodology and highlighted recent product adjustments.

On January 17 2026, California's financial regulator ordered Nexo to pay a $500,000 penalty for issuing more than 5,456 crypto-backed loans in the state without a license. The action requires the company to transfer California customer funds to a licensed U.S. affiliate within 150 days and has cast doubt on Nexo's plans to resume operations in the American market.

On January 16, 2026, Morgan Stanley named ASML Holding NV a top pick and suggested the Dutch chip-equipment maker's shares could gain as much as 70% in an optimistic scenario, with a potential price of €2,000. The bank expects stronger foundry and memory spending, rising AI-related investment, and a recent $500 billion US-Taiwan semiconductor deal to support demand, after ASML's market value surpassed $500 billion and its stock rose 25% in 2026.

New readings show inflation still above the Fed’s 2% goal, with November wholesale prices up 3% and December core CPI at 2.6%. Policymakers are assessing implications for 2026, and rates are widely expected to remain at 3.5%–3.75% later this month amid differing views on how quickly to cut without exacerbating pressures on lower‑income households.

According to Chainalysis, crypto theft totaled at least $14 billion in 2025, surpassing $12 billion in 2024. AI-enabled operations earned over $3.2 million per scheme, with daily income of $4,838 versus $518 without AI. In July and December 2025, separate reports and charges highlighted deepfake tactics and a $16 million case involving Coinbase users.