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U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Resume With No Deal, Lifting Oil While Markets Brace for Geopolitical Risk

Diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program concluded in Geneva without a resolution, with technical-level discussions now scheduled to resume in Vienna next week. While the continuation of negotiations eased the most acute fears of an imminent military confrontation, analysts at Raymond James warned that a U.S. military operation against Iran remains likely at this stage, keeping crude oil elevated and energy stocks in focus.

HSBC Strategists Slash U.S. Equity Overweight, Favor Global Markets

HSBC’s global strategists sharply reduced their overweight position in U.S. equities, reallocating toward emerging markets and European stocks as economic momentum abroad appears stronger. The shift reflects concerns about U.S. equity valuations and changing growth prospects, signaling cross-border flow impacts for market participants adjusting risk exposures.

Salesforce Crushes Q4 Estimates by 25%, Authorizes $50 Billion Buyback as Agentforce Scales

Salesforce reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 non-GAAP EPS of $3.81, surpassing the $3.05 consensus estimate by nearly 25%, as its Agentforce AI platform reached approximately $800 million in ARR — up 169% year over year. The company authorized a $50 billion share repurchase program, though shares fell over 3% in premarket trading Thursday amid broader software sector anxiety.

Trump State of the Union Defends Tariff Regime, Vows Replacements After Supreme Court Setback

President Donald Trump delivered the longest televised State of the Union address in modern history on Tuesday evening, defending his sweeping tariff agenda and pledging to implement replacement levies under alternative legal authority following last week's Supreme Court ruling that struck down the majority of his IEEPA-based import taxes. Markets opened broadly higher Wednesday, suggesting investors interpreted the speech as providing policy clarity rather than fresh uncertainty.

U.S. Stocks Stabilize After Volatile Sell-Off Led by AI and Tariff Fears

U.S. equity markets showed signs of stabilization on Tuesday following a sharp sell-off driven by renewed concerns over artificial intelligence disruption and tariff policy uncertainty. Major indices exhibited mixed performance as investors digested fresh corporate developments and macroeconomic cues while repositioning ahead of midweek data releases and earnings results.

Binance Revives Tokenized U.S. Stock Trading Through Ondo Finance Partnership

Binance has reintroduced trading in select tokenized U.S. equities through a partnership with Ondo Finance, offering crypto traders access to fractionalized versions of traditional stocks and ETFs. The move underscores growing convergence between digital asset platforms and traditional financial markets, despite ongoing regulatory scrutiny in key jurisdictions.

Walmart Beats Q4 Estimates but Soft Full-Year Guidance Rattles Investors

Walmart delivered better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and revenue on Thursday, fueled by robust e-commerce growth and expanding advertising revenue, but its full-year earnings outlook of $2.75 to $2.85 per share fell short of Wall Street's consensus of $2.96, sending shares modestly lower in premarket trading and raising questions about the pace of margin expansion under its new chief executive.

Fed Minutes Reveal Deep Divide on Rate Path as Powell Succession Looms

Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting, released Wednesday, showed officials broadly endorsing a pause in rate cuts but sharply divided on what comes next, with some members open to resuming easing if inflation continues to cool and others arguing for an extended hold — a split that is amplifying market uncertainty ahead of Friday's critical GDP and PCE data release.

Wall Street Braces for Friday's GDP and PCE 'Data Deluge' — A Potential Inflection Point for 2026 Markets

Investors are positioning defensively ahead of Friday's simultaneous release of the Q4 2025 advance GDP estimate and December PCE inflation data — a rare consolidation of two pivotal economic reports that analysts are calling the 'ultimate reality check' for the 2026 outlook, with consensus projecting 2.8% annualized GDP growth and core PCE inflation of 2.8% year-over-year, either of which could dramatically reprice rate expectations across equity, bond, and currency markets.