Global Market Update
Canadian Markets
Canada’s main stock index gained today despite a continued decline in oil prices, as investors weighed the latest round of tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Concerns over trade tensions lingered, but resilience in sectors such as technology and healthcare helped the index maintain its upward trajectory.
American Markets
U.S. stock indexes also traded higher, with the Nasdaq leading the charge. Investor sentiment was bolstered by Netflix’s strong quarterly performance, which beat expectations and underscored robust growth in the streaming sector. The broader technology sector rallied, reflecting investor optimism about the industry’s ability to drive economic growth despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.
In a major announcement, President Trump unveiled a private sector investment initiative of up to $500 billion to develop AI infrastructure in the United States. This announcement sparked a global technology rally, lifting equity markets worldwide.
European Markets
European stocks surged to record highs, buoyed by strong performances in the technology and healthcare sectors.
The UK’s market showed a slight decline amid concerns about its reserve currency status. A major rating agency warned of potential cracks in the British pound’s standing as a global reserve currency, a status that has long provided stability to the UK’s financial system. This warning added to investor caution, weighing on market performance despite broader positive sentiment in global markets.
Corporate Stock News
Abbott Laboratories
Forecasts 2025 adjusted profit of $5.05–$5.25 per share, aligning with Wall Street expectations. Strong demand for glucose-monitoring devices like FreeStyle Libre continues to drive growth.
Alphabet Inc
Investing over $1 billion in AI startup Anthropic, separate from Anthropic’s $2 billion funding round led by Lightspeed Ventures. Fined $12.4 million by Indonesia’s antitrust agency for unfair business practices related to Google Play Store payments.
Aptiv Plc
Plans to spin off its electrical distribution systems business, a key component in electric vehicle manufacturing, into a new company.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc
Shutting down Pilot Co’s international oil trading business to focus on North American operations. Several traders let go while remaining contracts are closed out.
BlackRock Inc
Reached a standstill agreement with Saba Capital, buying back shares in two closed-end funds worth $1.6 billion. Saba drops demands for management changes and fresh directors.
Blackstone Inc
Preparing to sell Spain-based Hotel Investment Partners (HIP), valued at $6.77 billion, through a stake sale or IPO. HIP owns 73 hotels across Southern Europe.
Capital One Financial Corp
Reported a 60% rise in Q4 profit, driven by higher net interest income and reduced provisions for credit losses. In the process of acquiring Discover Financial for $35.3 billion in an all-stock deal.
Cheniere Energy Inc & Energy Transfer LP
Resuming LNG export projects in Texas and Louisiana after U.S. President Trump lifted export permit freezes.
General Motors Co
Recalling 2,890 Chevrolet Equinox EVs (2025 models) due to software issues in adaptive cruise control that may increase crash risks.
Halliburton Co
Beat Q4 earnings estimates with adjusted EPS of $0.70, citing international demand for oilfield services. Expects North America to experience a softer 2025.
Johnson & Johnson
Q4 sales grew 5.3%, driven by a 19% rise in cancer drug sales, including Darzalex for multiple myeloma. Forecasts 2025 sales of $90.9–$91.7 billion and adjusted EPS of $10.75–$10.95.
Masimo Corp
Named Katie Szyman as CEO following founder Joe Kiani’s ouster. Continues evaluating options for its consumer business, which received offers of up to $950 million.
Macy’s Inc
Lost a U.S. appeals court case concerning monetary remedies ordered by the National Labor Relations Board for workers locked out after a strike.
Microsoft Corp
Modified its partnership with OpenAI following the ChatGPT creator’s joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank to build $500 billion in AI data centers. Retains exclusive rights to OpenAI’s API.
Netflix Inc
Shares surged after adding 18.9 million subscribers in Q4 2024, far exceeding estimates. Success attributed to a robust content lineup and entry into live sports streaming, including partnerships with WWE and NFL.
Nvidia Corp & Oracle Corp
Shares rose as both companies joined the $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure project alongside OpenAI and SoftBank.
Procter & Gamble Co
Beat Q2 sales estimates with $21.88 billion in revenue, supported by flat pricing and 2% growth in organic volumes.
Seagate Technology Holdings Plc
Forecasts Q3 revenue below estimates due to sluggish PC storage demand and oversupply in memory device inventory.
TotalEnergies SE
Delayed its $20 billion Mozambique LNG project amid ongoing security concerns, jeopardizing a 2029 production goal.
Travelers Companies Inc
Q4 core income rose to $2.13 billion, beating estimates, driven by strong underwriting results and higher investment income despite increased catastrophe losses.
United Airlines Holdings Inc
Forecasts stronger-than-expected Q1 profit due to robust travel demand and improved pricing power. Q4 adjusted EPS of $3.26 exceeded expectations.
Woodside Energy Group Ltd
Forecasts flat production for 2025, matching 2024’s record levels. Q4 revenue rose 3% year-on-year but fell 6% sequentially due to seasonal demand and an unplanned shutdown.
STA Research (StockTargetAdvisor.com) is a independent Investment Research company that specializes in stock forecasting and analysis with integrated AI, based on our platform stocktargetadvisor.com, EST 2007.
