Business News Today
Major Tech Results Out Driving Share Price Moves
Several of the Major Tech groups released their results yesterday with a mixed bag of responses from the market. Meta crushed Q4 expectations with 24% revenue growth to around $56-60B, driven by AI-boosted ad targeting. Shares jumped 7-10% in after-hours/extended trading. Zuckerberg called 2026 the year of “major AI acceleration,” guiding capex up to $135B (huge jump from prior years) for SuperIntelligence Labs and frontier-pushing models. Investors rewarded the real-time ROI evidence in ads, but the spend is eye-watering—signalling Meta’s all-in bet on compounding AI gains.
Microsoft topped revenue of $81B, up by 17% with upside profit expectations, however Azure growth slowed with concerns over AI monetisation pace, and capex/finance lease costs came in higher than feared. Shares dropped 6-7% in post-market trade as investors punished the heavy spending without faster top-line acceleration. The sell-off highlighting the market’s pickiness: AI bets are now closely linked with revenue growth and cost management, with the market following closely.
Tesla beat Q4 estimates despite softer deliveries, with profit/revenue above expectations and Optimus robot progress noted. Shares rose ~2-3% after-hours. However, annual revenue saw a first-ever decline in some reports, and capex is set to double in 2026 (> $20B) for AI, autonomy, and humanoid robots. Hyper-0scalers are guiding toward $470B+ combined capex spend in 2026 (up sharply), feeling debates on whether the spend will deliver proportional growth or just margin pressure. Markets are rewarding winners (like Meta) and punishing laggards.
Senegal-born Content Creator Signs $975 Million Creator Deals
The globally most followed Tik Tok content creator Khaby Lame has signed one of the largest ever creator economy deals with Rich Sparkle Holdings. Under the agreement with Rich Sparkle Holdings, the Senegal-born Italian content creator keeps 49 percent of his company and long-term control. The company however will retain exclusive commercial rights to his brand, including an AI-powered digital twin. The twin will host virtual livestreams and multilingual content and will be available around the clock for fan engagement, using Lame’s voice, likeness and mannerisms. The company says it’s a revolution in the content e-commerce model that could generate more than $4 billion a year. Lame, the world’s most-followed TikToker was a factory worker that got laid-off during covid-19 and to day is close to being a dollar Billionaire..
Platinum Heading to New Highs on Supply Constraints
Platinum futures climbed past $2,770 an ounce this morning, moving back toward record levels, as persistent supply constraints and strong investor demand continued to support prices. The surge in investment reflects platinum’s limited market size and relatively lower price, which make even modest physical purchases capable of moving the market sharply. Structural annual supply deficit remains a key factor, with South African production, which accounts for roughly 70% of global output, facing challenges from underinvestment and logistical issues.
Supply risks could also rise further, as Canada, another major producer, may face 100% tariffs if US President Trump moves forward with a trade deal with China. Demand remains strong in the automotive industry for catalytic converters, driven by the European Union’s reversal of the 2035 combustion-engine ban. Ongoing dollar weakness also underpinned broader precious metals demand. Platinum has surged over 25% this month so far and is up by 173% this year. Palladium has also surged by 4.8% this morning heading towards the record high level it hit this past Monday.
Breaking News Shorts:
- The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate unchanged, halting recent cuts amid signs of stabilising labor markets and rising inflation risks. Chair Powell’s comments emphasized a data-dependent approach, with no clear timeline for future moves. Markets reacted mildly, with stocks little changed.
- Efficiency drives and AI tools fuel continued job cuts across sectors less than a month into the year. Beyond Amazon’s now confirmed 16 000 lay-off, announcements reflect broader anxiety over workforce reductions as companies streamline amid economic uncertainty.
- India’s BSE Sensex dropped 592 points, or 0.7%, to 81,752 in morning trade today, erasing gains from the previous two sessions as traders grew cautious ahead of the Union Budget 2026 due this weekend. Traders also continued to brace for the Q3 earnings season. However, a trade agreement between India and the EU capped the fall.
- Gold extended its record-breaking rally above $5,550 per ounce today, hitting a fresh high amid continued weakness in the US dollar and heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Momentum picked up after President Trump dismissed the dollar’s slide to four-year lows, signaling tolerance for currency weakness. Silver has also surged to another record above $117 per ounce Thursday, extending its year-to-date rally beyond 60%
Markets by Numbers
Currency markets indicate the US dollar continuing to weaken more today, with the Euro trading against the US dollar at 1.19862 while the Pound is trading at 1.37974 to the US dollar. The Yen is currently trading at 152.59 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently trading at around R15.85 to the dollar.
Commodities:
- Gold futures have climbed by 2.4% this morning after hitting a fresh high above $5500 today, and currently trading at around $5553 per ounce.
- Copper prices have surged to new highs today, up over 6.4%, with prices currently around $63.191 per pound
- Silver futures continue their upward trajectory, up over 1.2% today, and currently trading around $118.07 per ounce.
- Platinum futures are up by almost 6% this morning, currently trading at $2785.40, While Palladium prices have spiked by around 4.7% this morning, and currently trading around $2142.00 per ounce.
- Brent crude oil prices are trending upwards today, and currently at $69.27 with WTI trading lower at $64.17
- Cocoa futures have fallen by around-6% today, and currently trading around $4150 per ton.
- Coffee futures are currently trending around -4.4% lower today, and trading at around $3.51 per pound
Crypto Currencies:
- Bitcoin prices are trending lower this morning, and trading at around $88178 per coin currently
- Ether prices are trending over -1% lower, and are currently trading around $2955.33
- $Trumpcoin are trending lower today, and currently trading around $4.71
(All prices quoted at approximately 07H20 Central African Time)
Africa News Briefs:
- Burkina Faso’s Transitional Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday to join the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, being a significant step towards realising Ouagadougou’s plans to build a nuclear reactor. In June, the West African nation signed a deal with Russia to build a nuclear power plant with the goal to boost energy capacity and improve energy security in the country. Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rostaom has signed around 20 nuclear energy partnerships across Africa.
- Sudan’s gold industry, a key source of foreign currency, is collapsing under ongoing conflict, creating infrastructure damage, and collapsing trade ties.The price of gold is hitting record highs but gold traders in Sudan are missing this key trade opportunity. The country is one of Africa’s leading gold producers and exporters but conflict, infrastructure damage, and collapsing trade ties mean have seen its vital gold industry suffering severe setbacks.
