Good morning investors! The market continues to crash with some calling it the ‘bear’ territory.
Today we cover:
Crypto has a fall
Amazon and more report
Invest in these states
📊 Economy and News
Bitcoin Is Now About Half of Its All Time High
Bitcoin sank below $63,000 on Thursday amid fading investor confidence in the asset once touted as “digital gold” and a superior store of value. The fall came after Bessent said the US government can't tell banks to bail out crypto.
Cryptocurrencies, led by bitcoin, have plunged deeper into losses as traders question its touted role as an inflation hedge, macro uncertainty buffer, fiat alternative, and rival to traditional safe havens like gold—a narrative that has faltered since its peak just above $126,000 in early October.
Bitcoin has since hit its lowest levels since the second quarter of 2024, down nearly 30% over the past year, while gold has surged 68% in the same period.
The broader market is also reeling: Ether has dropped 23% this week—its worst since November 2022's 24% slide—while Solana fell to $88.42, a roughly two-year low, off 24% weekly.
Traders are eyeing $70,000 as a critical psychological level for bitcoin; a sustained break below could accelerate declines.
James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares, called $70,000 a "key psychological level," warning that failure to hold it makes a slide toward $60,000–$65,000 "quite likely."
Forced liquidations continue pressuring prices, with over $2 billion in crypto long and short positions wiped out this week, per Coinglass data.
Ironically, large institutional investors—previously credited with bolstering bitcoin—are now driving much of the selling.
Global hits:
Mexico’s central bank holds key rate at 7% amid inflation concerns.
Bank of England votes narrowly to hold rates but signals reduction ahead.
Argentina, US sign reciprocal trade and investment agreement.
Job situation: U.S. employers announced 108,435 planned layoffs in January—the highest January total since 2009—surging 118% from the same month a year earlier and 205% from December 2025, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Hiring announcements hit a record low for January, with just 5,306 new positions planned—the fewest since the firm began tracking the data in 2009.
The labor market cooled further in December, as job openings dropped sharply to 6.54 million—the lowest level since September 2020—down more than 900,000 from October, per the latest JOLTS report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Reminder: Trump administration to end job protections for up to 50,000 federal workers.
📈 Stocks
S&P 500 6,798.40 (-1.23%)
DJIA 48,908.72 (-1.20%)
NASDAQ 22,540.59 (-1.59%)
BRENT CRUDE 67.34 (-2.97%)
* Prices as of Feb 6th, 12:20 AM UTC
Amazon and More Report Earnings
Amazon plunged more than 7% after the company posted mixed fourth-quarter earnings, and boosted its full-year spending forecast.
Here’s are the numbers:
Earnings per share: $1.95 vs. $1.97 estimated
Revenue: $213.39 billion vs. $211.33 billion estimated
Wall Street was also looking at other key revenue numbers:
Amazon Web Services: $35.58 billion vs. $34.93 billion expected, according to StreetAccount
Advertising: $21.32 billion vs. $21.16 billion expected, according to StreetAccount
Sweden’s Volvo Cars reported its worst day ever, tumbling more than 22.5%. Volvo Cars said fourth-quarter operating income excluding items affecting comparability came in at 1.8 billion Swedish krona ($200.46 million), reflecting a 68% drop compared to the same period a year prior. Analysts anticipate 10%-15% downgrades to full-year 2026 consensus earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), “possibly more given the underlying EBIT margin was close to 0%” in the final three months of 2025.
Peloton missed Wall Street’s expectations on the top and bottom lines and fell short of its internal sales targets during its crucial holiday quarter. The misses come after the connected fitness company overhauled its product assortment and raised prices for both hardware and subscriptions. Despite worse-than-expected sales, Peloton is continuing to improve its profitability and raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance.
British oil giant Shell posted adjusted earnings of $3.26 billion for the fourth quarter, missing analyst expectations. The London-headquartered firm maintained its quarterly share buyback of $3.5 billion.
Estée Lauder is expecting a $100 million hit to its full-year profitability because of tariff impacts. The beauty company’s stock tumbled more than 20% in midday trading. The company is currently in the midst of a turnaround plan, dubbed “Beauty Reimagined,” that’s expected to cost between $1.2 billion and $1.6 billion and is aimed at revitalizing its growth. In its fiscal second-quarter earnings report on Thursday, the company said it still expects net workforce reductions of 5,800 to 7,000 as part of its restructuring.
Interesting: Novo Nordisk said it will take legal action again telehealth provider Hims & Hers after Hims announced a cheaper copycat version of Novo’s Wegovy weight loss pill.
💵 Personal Finance
Top 10 U.S. Markets for Short-Term Rental Investments in 2026
AirDNA's January 2026 report ranks the best U.S. places to invest in short-term rentals, highlighting small and mid-sized cities over traditional tourist spots like beaches or mountains.
Investing remains highly accessible in 2026, thanks to declining mortgage rates that lower entry barriers. Rankings factor in potential annual revenue relative to listing prices, demand, booking trends, revenue growth, and local drivers like nature, industry, or events.
Chief Economist Jamie Lane notes a shift toward rural and non-traditional markets, a trend that began during the pandemic and persists.
Top 10 list (with estimated average annual revenue potential before expenses):
Port Arthur, Texas — $35,000 (Oil/gas hub with coastal appeal, 78% occupancy, 23% rental growth 2024–2025; affordable homes at ~$151K median.)
Abilene, Texas — $55,000 (Boosted by new AI data center; 77% occupancy, 15% rental growth.)
Downtown Saint Paul, Minn. — $45,000
Charleston, W.Va. — $32,000
Springfield, Ill. — $35,000
Lake Charles, La. — $37,000
Montgomery, Ala. — $42,000
Akron, Ohio — $39,000
Lebanon, Pa. — $42,000
Jackson, Miss. — $44,000
Across the top 10, average home prices hover around $296,000, with ~$40,500 annual revenue and yields near 14%.
💰 Be a Better Investor
“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”
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