•Tencent shares jumped 10.5%, the largest daily gain since November 2022, following reports of an AI agent prototype being tested for WeChat.
•The company plans to begin the compliance process for a public launch as early as this month, with a phased rollout to follow.
•The AI agent will allow users to automate tasks across millions of WeChat mini-apps, such as ordering drinks or finding services via voice/text commands.
•Shopify announced a $3 billion increase to its share repurchase program, bringing the total authorization to $5 billion.
•Onity Group initiated a share repurchase program for up to $20 million following regulatory approval for its transaction with Finance of America Reverse.
•India slipped to the seventh-largest equity market globally by market capitalization, as South Korea moved ahead to sixth place.
•The combined market value of South Korean exchanges rose to $5.01 trillion, surpassing the $4.85 trillion market cap of India's National Stock Exchange.
•South Korea's surge was driven by an AI chip rally, while India faced heavy foreign selling and weaker earnings growth.
•Major U.S. retailers are facing increasing pressure from rising freight, logistics, and fuel costs, which are growing at the fastest rate in three years.
•Goldman Sachs analysts noted that companies like Walmart, Costco, and AutoZone are currently absorbing costs, but persistence threatens margin deterioration in the second half of the year.
•US stock futures dipped following historic highs for the S&P 500 as conflicting reports emerged regarding diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran.
•Strong US manufacturing data reinforced confidence in the AI infrastructure boom, led by gains in Nvidia, Dell, and Oracle.
•Concerns persist over market sustainability as consumer savings hit post-financial-crisis lows and market leadership remains concentrated in a few AI stocks.
•Bridge Investment Group completed fundraising for its Bridge Logistics Value Fund II, raising nearly $1.4 billion and exceeding its $1 billion target.
•Al Shams Investments, the largest shareholder of Braemar Hotels & Resorts, urged outside directors to promptly call the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
•SunPower intends to negotiate with holders of its 12% and 7% Convertible Senior Notes to accept common stock and bonus shares instead of cash interest.
•Pacific Booker Minerals received a fairness opinion from INFOR Financial stating that the unsolicited offer from American Eagle Gold is inadequate from a financial point of view.
•South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) significantly reduced its stakes in several major US companies during Q4, including FTV, DRI, PFG, and PTC.
•The fund increased its holdings in specific companies such as Allegion (ALLE), Kimco Realty (KIM), and Rollins (ROL).
•The largest reductions included a 97% cut in Church & Dwight (CHD) and a 95.8% cut in Darden Restaurants (DRI).
•A report by BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, predicts a 34.1% surge in Iraqi oil production in 2027 as it rebounds from the Iran war impacts.
•Most Gulf oil producers will see double-digit percentage growth in crude production next year following shut-ins caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure.
•Iran is reviewing the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal, raising hopes for a truce extension and tempering oil price volatility.
•Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries have inadvertently pushed more crude into export markets, with seaborne exports averaging 3.46 million b/d in 2026.
•The five largest sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar spent nearly $26 billion on global investments over the past three months.
•Sterling Metals has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all issued and outstanding securities of QcX Gold via a court-approved plan of arrangement.
•François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Bank of France, delivered a speech at the People's Bank of China in Beijing regarding growing economic imbalances.