Good morning investors! Stocks bounced yesterday as the political situation is starting to look better.
Today we cover:
Greenland framework
Intel falls
BNPL rent?
📊 Economy and News
Trump and NATO Reach Greenland Framework: Missiles, Minerals, and Arctic Security in Focus
President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced a framework for a future deal on Greenland following talks in Davos, shifting from threats to cooperation on U.S. missile deployments and access to critical minerals while bolstering NATO's Arctic presence.
According to reports, including from Bloomberg, the agreement paves the way for stationing U.S. missiles—potentially tied to Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" defense system—and mineral rights arrangements aimed at countering Chinese and Russian influence. Trump described the deal as providing "total and permanent" U.S. access with no time limit, emphasizing national security and blocking adversaries in the region.
Greenland and Denmark confirmed they were not directly involved in the Trump-Rutte discussions. Greenland's Prime Minister stressed that sovereignty and territorial integrity remain a firm "red line," adding that any negotiations must respect international law.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed openness to expanded NATO and U.S. military presence in the far north, noting existing 1950s-era treaties allow U.S. defensive builds with prior consultation.
In a related development, the EU is resuming efforts to ratify a pending U.S. trade deal after Trump withdrew tariff threats linked to the Greenland tensions, with European Parliament leaders signaling a vote could proceed soon.
Global hits:
Japan inflation cools to 2.1%, lowest since March 2022.
UK consumer morale inches up despite economic worries.
New Zealand annual inflation accelerates, supporting expectations of rate hikes.
Good to know: Gold tops $4,900/oz; silver and platinum extend record‑setting rally.
US Q3 GDP got revised up to 4.4%, the strongest growth in two years.
House passes final funding bills 8 days before shutdown, Senate now will consider.
Reminder: Trump sues Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase over debanking the suit calls ‘political’. Elsewhere, BlackRock fixed income chief Rick Rieder’s star is rising as a potential Federal Reserve chair following flattering remarks from President Donald Trump. Lastly, Trump has rejected plan to use 401(k) savings for home down payments.
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📈 Stocks
S&P 500 6,913.35 (+0.55%)
DJIA 49,384.01 (+0.63%)
NASDAQ 23,436.02 (+0.91%)
BRENT CRUDE 64.12 (-1.87%)
* Prices as of Jan 23rd, 12:20 AM UTC
Intel Stock Plunges on Weak Q1 Guidance Despite Q4 Earnings Beat
Intel reported Q4 2025 results that topped expectations, with non-GAAP EPS of $0.15 (vs. $0.08 estimated) and revenue of $13.7 billion (slightly above forecasts), though down 4% year-over-year. The company posted a GAAP net loss of $600 million ($0.12 per share), wider than the prior year's $100 million loss.
However, shares dropped as much as 13% in after-hours trading due to disappointing Q1 2026 guidance: revenue of $11.7–$12.7 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $0.00, both below analyst estimates.
CEO Lip-Bu Tan highlighted strong demand, particularly for AI data center products, but admitted internal execution issues, including supply constraints and manufacturing yields not yet meeting standards, limited the company's ability to fully capitalize.
Ongoing challenges in the foundry business and heavy investments continue to pressure margins, fueling investor skepticism despite recent optimism around Intel's turnaround efforts.
Musk talks: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said his company has removed human safety monitors from some of its Robotaxi fleet vehicles in Austin. Moreover, he expects Tesla robotaxis to be “widespread” in the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Surprising: Capital One is buying startup Brex for $5.15 billion in credit card firm’s latest deal.
Ubisoft shares plunged 34% after announcing a major restructure and cancelling six games. The company expects to make an operating loss of around 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) in the financial year ending 2026.
Earning jump: Intuitive Surgical surged over 5% after an impressive earnings report, including an 18% jump in worldwide procedures.
TikTok deal: TikTok has officially formed a joint venture that will keep the video-sharing app operating in the United States.
💵 Personal Finance
Affirm to Pilot Buy Now, Pay Later for Rent Payments
Fintech company Affirm is partnering with Esusu to launch a pilot program allowing eligible renters to split their monthly rent into two equal biweekly payments at 0% interest, with no late fees or hidden charges.
The option, available through Esusu (a platform that helps build credit by reporting rent payments), aims to help renters align expenses with paychecks. Esusu offers paid memberships ($10–$50/month, depending on tier and property partnerships) for credit-building and payment flexibility features.
U.S. rents rose about 3% year-over-year in late 2025, and nearly half of renters spent over 30% of their income on housing in 2023, highlighting ongoing affordability challenges.
Financial experts caution against relying on such plans regularly, as they don't address underlying budget issues and could encourage borrowing for essentials. They recommend negotiating directly with landlords for payment plans during short-term hardships.
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