Global financial media focused on the following key headlines overnight and this morning:
1. U.S. Military Downs Iranian Drone in "Deliberate Approach" Towards Aircraft Carrier The U.S. Central Command reported that on Tuesday, U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone heading towards the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. The incident occurred amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, as U.S. President Donald Trump considered potential military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran. U.S. Central Command spokesman Colonel Tim Hawkins stated in a declaration that the Shahed-139 drone conducted a "deliberate approach" towards the aircraft carrier with "unknown intent." White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, during an interview with Fox News, indicated that plans for the talks would proceed as originally scheduled.
2. U.S. Plans General License to Allow Oil Production in Venezuela The U.S. government is preparing to issue a general license permitting companies to produce oil in Venezuela, a move by the Trump administration aimed at easing sanctions and revitalizing the South American nation's long-struggling energy industry. Informed sources revealed that the U.S. Treasury Department could issue the new license as early as this week. This step is crucial for attracting U.S.-linked companies into Venezuela's oil sector. Venezuela possesses one of the world's largest oil reserves, and the U.S. is seeking deeper involvement in the country's energy industry following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
3. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Denies OpenAI Deal Rumors: "It's a Nothingburger" Amid recent reports of growing tensions between NVIDIA and OpenAI, CEO Jensen Huang stated that the company's investment plans for OpenAI remain "on track." Huang, in a Tuesday interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, said, "It's a nothingburger; everything is proceeding according to plan." Huang also confirmed on Tuesday that NVIDIA will participate in OpenAI's next funding round, which he described as potentially "the largest private financing in history." Huang asserted, "We will absolutely be in the next round, there is no question about it." He further indicated that NVIDIA would consider participating in all future funding rounds for OpenAI and expressed a desire to be involved in OpenAI's eventual initial public offering.
4. Novo Nordisk Forecasts Slowing Sales Growth, Stock Plunges 11% Novo Nordisk announced on Tuesday that it expects slower sales and profit growth this year, with U.S. sales facing headwinds, triggering a sharp decline in its U.S.-listed shares. The company issued this forecast alongside its full-year 2025 sales data, released ahead of its scheduled quarterly earnings report on Wednesday morning. At the time of reporting, Novo Nordisk's American Depositary Receipts were down 11%. The financial figures were released after the close of trading on its primary exchange in Copenhagen.
5. Intel CEO: Expanding into GPU Market, Memory Chip Shortage to Persist Until 2028 Intel CEO Dr. Charles Liang stated on Tuesday that the company has appointed a new chief architect to lead research and development efforts for Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). These chips, developed by companies like NVIDIA and AMD, are computational cores for large language models; demand for GPUs has surged as major companies race to build AI infrastructure and data centers. Dr. Liang, speaking at the Cisco AI Summit, told the audience that the company engaged in "a bit of persuasion" to convince the new executive to join but did not disclose the individual's name.
6. Citadel Securities: U.S. Stocks Enter Seasonally Weak February, Retail Buying Frenzy May Fade Retail investor appetite for U.S. stocks faces a significant test as the record-breaking buying spree that fueled last month's rally shows signs of fatigue. Data from Citadel Securities indicated January's net inflows were more than 50% higher than the previous year. Scott Rubner, the firm's Head of Equity and Equity Derivative Strategy, suggested that retail buying on this scale is difficult to sustain—especially during February, which is seasonally weak for stock purchases. Citadel Securities data shows that since 2017, retail activity has consistently cooled as the market transitions from January to February. Net nominal flows typically retreat after the initial surge at the start of the year. Seasonal factors present another challenge for U.S. equities. Citadel data indicates that since 1928, February has historically been the second-weakest month of the year, with the S&P 500 index averaging a decline of 9 basis points. Rubner also noted that institutional client behavior reflects a shift in sentiment, with increased hedging activity compared to the beginning of the year.
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