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Markets, Cryptos And Culture

January 2026

Digital Bush Telegraph

Wrestling With Numbers And Showbiz Edition; Mining For Intel!

Sin City Sydney, Australia
Wednesday January 14

Past High Noon Update

Wall Street, New York
Lucky/Unlucky Tuesday January 13

ASX futures up 5 points or 0.1% to 8789 near 6am AEST
AUD -0.4% at US66.85¢
Bitcoin $95,297.29 +4.38%
Dow -0.7% S&P -0.3% Nasdaq -0.3%
Gold +0.1% to $US4599.68 an ounce
Brent oil +2.9% at $US65.70 a barrel
Iron ore -0.9% at $US108.20 a ton

Numbers Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.6680 USD (down $0.0033 USD) Iron Ore Feb Spot Price: $108.20 USD (down $0.85 USD)
Oil Price: $61.11 USD (up $1.60 USD)
Gold Price: $4,582.10 USD (down $26.34 USD)
Copper Price: $6.0015 USD (down 0.0210 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,082.27 (down 507.93 points)

News

BHP Group Ltd $48.02 +0.44 +0.91%

Elders Ltd $7.49 +0.16 +2.11% (ASX)

Rio Tinto plc ADR Common Stock $83.59 +0.71 +0.86%

Mineral Resources ADR $39.49

TKO Group Holdings Inc $208.89 +9.82 +4.94%

Tesla Inc $447.20 -1.76 -0.39%

Trump Media & Technology Group Corp
$13.99 +0.070 +0.50%

Palantir Technologies Inc $178.96 -0.45 -0.25%

NVIDIA Corp $185.81 +0.87 +0.47%

Netflix Inc $90.32 +0.91+1.02%

Paramount Skydance Corp $12.14 -0.0100 -0.082%

Alphabet Inc Class A $335.97 +4.11 +1.24%

Microsoft Corp $470.67 -6.51 -1.36%

Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.37 -0.026 -0.59%

Volvo ADR $33.38 -0.51 -1.50% (Parent company of Mack Trucks)

Bally's Corp $16.64 -0.0100 -0.060%

Wynn Resorts Ltd $116.40 -0.44 -0.38%

MGM Resorts International $34.65 -0.17 -0.49%

Red Rock Resorts Inc $62.38 +0.51 +0.82%

News

Australia

ASX rallies as copper surge boosts BHP, Rio

The Australian sharemarket posted a solid gain on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.6 per cent to close at 8,808.5 points. The rising price of copper and gold boosted the resources sector, with BHP up 2.3 per cent at $47.58 and Northern Star Resources ending the session 3.6 per cent higher at $26.35. Suncorp Group in turn finished one per cent higher at $17.26 and Austral advanced 6.7 per cent to $8.73. However, Woodside Energy fell 1.7 per cent to $23.31 and GQG Partners was down 8.6 per cent at $1.64. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Mining (Australia and World)

Rio may finally land its Glencore megamerger

The prospects of a merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore may have been boosted by the former's appointment of Simon Trott as CEO last year. He is like to be more amenable to a deal than his predecessor, Jakob Stausholm, who is said to have objected to Glencore's proposal in previous merger talks that its CEO Gary Nagle rather than himself should head the combined group. Meanwhile, Rio Tinto's dual listing in Australia and the UK may be a challenge in sealing a merger. Glencore's coal mines are also likely to be problematic, given that Rio Tinto has exited the sector and these assets would conflict with its environmental, social and governance policy. (RMS)

News

Crypto: sell-the-growth continues

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation grew by 1% over the past day and is down 1% from a week ago. Bitcoin received a boost from reports of a criminal investigation against the head of the Federal Reserve, which created momentum for a flight from US assets. In our view, this precedent is negative for risk appetite.

Bitcoin jumped to $92,500 but saw a significant influx of sellers, returning to $90,300 at the time of writing. Testing of the 50-day moving average as support continues. A slip below $90K could have a strong psychological effect, quickly taking the price to $87K and then sending it lower below $80K.

XRP is losing for the seventh day in a row, like Bitcoin, rolling back to the 50-day MA and close to the round level of $2.0. The coin is still up 10% since the beginning of the year, but the initial momentum has clearly lost steam, as there are too many people in the markets willing to sell on the rise. Most likely, this change in strategy for all cryptocurrencies will characterise the market in the coming months.

News Background

The total open interest in Bitcoin derivatives has fallen to its lowest level since the end of 2022, according to CryptoQuant. Historically, reaching such levels has preceded periods of consolidation or even bullish reversals.

Bitcoin could reach $2.9 million by 2050 in a base case scenario, according to VanEck's forecast. This will happen if the first cryptocurrency becomes a currency for international settlements and enters the reserves of central banks. The main obstacle to mass adoption remains the scalability of the network. VanEck emphasised the importance of developing second-level solutions that will speed up transactions and reduce commissions.

Monero (XMR) is regaining its status as the leading anonymous coin amid the crisis in the Zcash ecosystem following the departure of its development team. The asset has been growing steadily for several weeks, outperforming most of its competitors in the sector.

There are more and more signs in the crypto market pointing to the end of the sell-off. Among them are the stabilisation of outflows from ETFs, the situation with perpetual futures and positions on the CME, according to JPMorgan.

MSCI's decision on 6 January regarding companies accumulating cryptocurrencies is also favourable for cryptocurrencies. The global provider of stock indices has decided not to exclude them from its indices during the review in February 2026. (FxPro)

News

Crypto market grows with risk appetite in stocks

Market Overview

The crypto market gained 0.75% over the past 24 hours to $3.13T in another attempt to turn towards growth, pushing off the 50-day moving average. Appetite for crypto grew amid a rebound in US financial markets during Monday’s trading and continued growth in Japanese stocks on Tuesday morning. Steady risk appetite began to spread to cryptocurrencies, which had underperformed the market for many weeks.

Bitcoin has exceeded $92K since Monday evening, attempting to climb above levels seen a week ago. There were wide fluctuations on Monday, with an impressive increase in sales when the price rose above $92K, but this did not deter the bulls from continuing their attempts. It would be too hasty to conclude sustained risk appetite while the price remains below previous local highs of $95K. An optimistic view of the situation considers a series of rising local lows since November.

Ethereum is holding above $3,000, carefully forming a bottom at this level over the past five days. At the end of last month, a similar support level was near $2,920. As with Bitcoin, ETH is trading above the 50-day MA, but still below the local peak on 6 January.

News Background

Retail investors continue to offload loss-making assets due to fears of volatility, which is increasing selling pressure, according to CryptoQuant.

Profit-taking and shifting expectations in the options market indicate that investors are postponing bullish expectations to a later date, not believing in a quick rally. Optimism about a breakout in the first quarter is fading, QCP Capital notes.

Views of cryptocurrency content on YouTube have fallen to their lowest levels since 2021, ITC Crypto notes. A similar decline in social interest has also been recorded on social network X.
According to Arkham Intelligence, the DAT company BitMine has increased the amount of locked assets on the Ethereum network to 1.08 million coins. The value of the portfolio exceeded $3 billion.

The theory of Ethereum’s ‘demise,’ based on its prolonged decline against Bitcoin, is untenable, said MN Trading founder Michael van de Poppe. In his opinion, the ETH/BTC rate has already bottomed out. The key argument in favour of growth is the increase in the volume of stablecoins on the Ethereum network.

South Korea has lifted its ban on corporate investment in cryptocurrencies. Legal entities will be able to allocate up to 5% of their share capital to coins from the top 20 by market capitalisation, excluding stablecoins. (FxPro)

News

The yen returned to the Takaichi trade

The dollar resumed its growth after the lawsuit against the Fed chairman

Rumours of early elections in Japan drove up USDJPY quotes. ‘We’re screwed!’ -- that’s how Donald Trump described the possible Supreme Court’s ruling against his tariffs. The US will have to return hundreds of billions of dollars, not to mention the cancellation of investments that other countries intended to make in exchange for lower import duties. In fact, the White House screwed up a little earlier when the Justice Department informed Jerome Powell about the lawsuit. The Fed chairman and the markets perceive this event as a factor putting pressure on the central bank. Lowering rates under pressure from the president could lead to uncontrolled inflation, as has occurred in several emerging market countries in the past. Investors will demand a higher risk premium on bonds. Higher Treasury yields will weigh on the economy.

The greenback is poised to benefit from both the Supreme Court’s repeal of tariffs and the lawsuit against Jerome Powell. The latter led to a rise in EURUSD and allowed the euro to be sold at a higher price. The refund of previously paid fees could be seen as a fiscal stimulus that will boost the US economy. The strength of the dollar was one of the reasons for the USDJPY’s surge to its highest level since July 2024. The second factor was rumours of early elections in Japan. The new prime minister’s ratings are high, and she intends to strengthen the Liberal Democratic Party’s position in parliament. As a result, investors are returning to a so-called ‘Takaichi trade’ with stocks rising while the yen is weakening.

The USDJPY rally is forcing the government to return to verbal interventions. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama expressed concern about the speculative nature of the yen’s weakening at a meeting with her American counterpart. She said that Scott Bessent is also unhappy with what is happening on Forex.

Now the markets are trying to determine the levels of Tokyo’s potential intervention in the international currency market. In 2024, it resorted to currency interventions four times near the 160 level, a very close call with 159 now.

Gold took advantage of the growing distrust of fiat currencies. It reached a new record high. As a result, CME changed its margin calculation methodology to reduce volatility. Its increase at the end of 2025 caused precious metals to retreat. (FxPro)

News

Crude Oil counteracts

While developments in Venezuela acted as a headwind for oil prices, events surrounding Iran provided clear support. Expectations of an influx of cheaper supply from Latin America pushed Brent crude to its lowest level in eight months. However, escalating tensions in the Middle East helped North Sea crude find a floor and rebound. The four-day rally in black gold highlights a renewed rise in geopolitical risk premiums.

According to Capital Economics, mass protests, oil workers' strikes, the blockade of the shadow fleet, and Tehran's threats to close the Strait of Hormuz could push Brent prices up by $15-20 per barrel. Iran is a much larger oil producer than Venezuela, ranking fourth in OPEC. It accounts for about 3% of global production, or 3.3 million barrels per day. Exports are estimated at 2 million barrels per day, with about 90% going to China. The country's share of China's black gold imports is estimated at 15%. Venezuela's share is only 2%. Western sanctions have significantly undermined Tehran's potential. At the peak of its glory in the 1970s, Iran's share of global production was 10%. Investors are hedging against the risks of Brent's rally continuing at its fastest pace since the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran last summer. At the same time, the market is considering two key scenarios for further developments. Either there will be a supply crisis, or the resumption of the trade war between the United States and China will deal a blow to the world economy and global demand for oil. Following Donald Trump's announcement of additional 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran, such a scenario is quite likely. Such a rapid rally in Brent would not have happened if speculators had not built up huge short positions in North Sea crude against the backdrop of events in Venezuela. Their unwinding is leading to a rebound. Demand for oil call options has jumped to its highest level since October. A significant share of them are trading with strike prices at $80 per barrel. (FxPro)

News

Sports Culture

NRL broadcast deal focus for game changes

The Australian Rugby League Commission's chairman Peter V'landys still hopes the NRL's next broadcasting rights deal will be worth at least $5bn. He contends that in order to achieve a record rights deal the NRL must evolve by making rule changes that will make the sport more exciting and attract new viewers. The ARLC and the NRL are currently consulting with the league's 17 clubs regarding a number of proposed rule changes for the 2026 season; they include giving the team that concedes a try the option of either kicking off or receiving the ball. V'Landys notes that previous rule changes have boosted NRL viewership from just 137 million in 2019 to 224 million in 2025. (RMS)

News

Jan 12

Tech/A.I

Joint statement from Google and Apple

Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.

After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users. Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards. (Source: Google/Alphabet)

https://blog.google/company-news/inside-google/company-announcements/joint-statement-google-apple/

News

Pop Culture

NETFLIX BECOMES OFFICIAL HOME OF WWE LIBRARY IN UNITED STATES

January 6, 2026 – Netflix and WWE today announced an expansion to their long-term partnership that will see the world’s leading entertainment service become the home of WWE’s library in the U.S.

Beginning immediately, Netflix is the new U.S. home for WWE’s library of Premium Live Events (prior to September 2025) including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble, as well as award-winning documentaries and original programming.

This follows the January 2025 launch of WWE on Netflix, where Monday Night Raw has become a weekly staple in the global English Top 10. Past episodes of Monday Night Raw are also available as part of the WWE library on Netflix.

The arrival of WWE’s library on Netflix also comes ahead of Season 2 of original behind-the-scenes documentary series WWE: Unreal on January 20.

News

Pop Culture

Pro Wrestling

AJ Styles Returns to TNA Wrestling LIVE January 15 on Premiere of Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC

Jan 9, 2026

The premiere of Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC will be PHENOMENAL.

For the first time since Slammiversary, AJ Styles makes his jaw-dropping return to TNA Wrestling as a new era begins LIVE January 15 from the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas.

What will "The Phenomenal One" have in store as TNA Wrestling makes history once again?

Also on the loaded lineup:

Frankie Kazarian vs. Mike Santana for the TNA World Championship

The IInspiration vs. The Elegance Brand for the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship

Elijah and The Hardys vs. Order 4

Plus more!

Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC debuts January 15, 2026 at 9/8c LIVE from the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas.

News

Pop Culture

Pro Wrestling: WWE - Studio/Production News

WWE is set to be an important part of a new initiative that Fanatics is launching.

It was announced today that Fanatics and production company OBB Media have linked up to launch Fanatics Studios, which will see Fanatics produce its own feature films and documentaries, unscripted and scripted original programming, live event specials, premium digital series, and more. WWE is listed among the partners — with a “multi-project commitment across unscripted and digital content.”

"YEE(A)T with The Usos: Fanatics Studios will debut an unscripted culinary series with WWE Superstars Jimmy and Jey Uso, who will take their tag team efforts on the road with a BBQ travel show featuring fellow WWE superstars and celebrity friends distributed across WWE’s social and YouTube channels"

News

Jan 12

Netflix - WWE News

“Netflix members welcomed WWE with a bang (but thankfully, no permanent injuries). In 2025, our members watched 525M hours of WWE content”... “Of this total, Raw accounted for nearly 340M views and 185M views for Premium Live Events broadcast outside of the US like SmackDown, WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber, Money in the Bank, Night of Champions and Royal Rumble.” ...

Netflix scribed that Raw ranked in the top 10 of its category most weeks, with it only falling outside of the rankings in December when “Stranger Things” took up much of the top 10.

“Since Raw’s official Netflix debut on January 6, 2025, the show has made the Global English TV Top 10 nearly every week it’s been on service (47 out of a possible 52 weeks),” Netflix wrote. “Over 52 shows, Raw has averaged more than 3M views per week.

“And it’s not just in the US, the birthplace of the WWE. Raw has made the Top 10 in 34 countries, including the US (51 weeks), Bolivia (49 weeks), Canada (48 weeks), the UK (40 weeks) and Mexico (38 weeks).”

Media/TV Biz

Research: Netflix leads growth in streaming ad-tiers

Jan 13

Global usage of ad-supported subscription tiers increased across Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max between Q4 2024 and Q3 2025, according to research from Digital i.

The highest growth in adoption was on Netflix, with 40 per cent of active accounts using its Standard with Ads plan in Q3 2025, in the 20 countries measured by Digital i.

This was up by 14 per cent from the 26 per cent of subscribers on that tier in Q4 2024 that were recorded in Digital i’s trend report, Evolving Streamer Strategies, in 2025.

Ad-supported tier usage rose from 35 per cent to 44 per cent on Disney+ during that period and from 22 per cent to 28 per cent on HBO Max. Prime Video remained the service with the highest ad-supported tier usage, but this fell from 88 per cent of subscribers in Q4 2024 to 82 per cent in Q3 2025.

Digital i measures streaming audience data in the UK, the US, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, South Korea and Japan. (Wires)

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Media Man

Cryptocurrency, Finance and World

"Volatility is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael Saylor

"Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme." — Naval Ravikant

"We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error." — Tyler Winklevoss

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." — John McAfee

"Bitcoin is the most important invention in the history of the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver

"Cryptocurrency is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn governments." — Charles Lee

"In the future, national currencies will become obsolete. Bitcoin will become the single global currency." — Jack Dorsey

"The future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng Zhao

"Crypto offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged." — Elizabeth Stark

"The new frontier of innovation is in decentralization. Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott

"Digital currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter of how long before governments embrace it." — Brad Garlinghouse

Pop Culture

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking

Santa vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
Google Deepmind and Gemini vs X
Paul Bros vs Lucha Bros
Office Workers vs Field Workers

Markets, Crypto And Culture

January 2026

Jan 7

Sydney, Australia

Mood: Bullish

AUD +0.3% to US67.34¢
Bitcoin $93,010.79 +1.21%

Wall Street: By Mr Wolf

Dow +1.1%
S&P +0.6%
Nasdaq +0.6%
VIX -0.19 to 14.71
Gold +0.7% to $US4481.38 an ounce
Brent oil -1.9% to $US60.61 a barrel
Iron ore +0.7% to $US106.55 a ton

10-year yield:
US 4.17%
Australia 4.79%

News

Numbers/Data Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.6730 USD (up $0.0015 USD)
Iron Ore: $106.55 USD (up $0.75 USD)
Oil Price: $56.89 USD (down $1.41 USD)
Gold Price: $4,484.96 USD (up $44.37 USD)
Copper Price: $6.0535 USD (up 0.0515 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,487.98 (up 510.80 points)

The Lead Up

Jan 6

Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York, USA

Bullish Today

ASX 200 futures up 30 points/0.3 percent to 8746
AUD +0.3% to US67.17¢

Bitcoin $94,149.31 +3.17%

Wall St:

Dow +1.4%
S&P +0.7%
Nasdaq +0.7%
VIX +0.46 to 14.97
Gold +2.6% to $US4445.21 an ounce
Brent oil +1.7% to $US61.77 a barrel
Iron ore +0.4% to $US105.80 a ton

10-year yield:
US 4.16%
Australia 4.79%

News

Double Check On Numbers

Australian Dollar: $0.6715 USD (up $0.0029 USD) Iron Ore: $105.80 USD (up $0.40 USD) Oil Price: $58.30 USD (up $0.98 USD) Gold Price: $4,440.59 USD (up $108.23 USD) Copper Price: $6.0020 USD (up 0.3040 USD) Dow Jones: 49,102.86 (up 720.47 points)

News

ASX swings as mining rally offsets tech drop

The Australian sharemarket posted a slight gain on Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.0092 per cent to close at 8,728.6 points. BHP was up 1.6 per cent at $46.48, Paladin Energy advanced 7.1 per cent to $10.85 and Northern Star Resources ended the session 2.1 per cent higher at $24.95. However, Beach Energy was down 2.1 per cent at $1.14 and Zip Co fell 5.7 per cent to $3.16. (RMS)

News

Mining
Australia

Geologists uncover Earth's largest iron ore deposit ever recorded, worth $5.7 trillion

It was previously thought that the Pilbara Craton's iron ore bodies were formed at least two billion years ago. However, new dating techniques applied at key sites in the Hamersley Basin have concluded that these ore bodies were formed between 1.4 and 1.1 billion years ago; the new age range has been confirmed across multiple ore bodies in the region. The research has also found that the Pilbara Craton may contain about 55 billion metric tonnes of ore; this would be worth more than $5.7trn based on the current price of iron ore. (RMS)

News

Bullish start to the year in crypto

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market added 3.6% to its capitalisation over the past seven days and approximately 0.6% in 24 hours, reaching $3.14 trillion.

At the start of trading on Monday, there was a slight decline to $3.18 trillion, but a return to monthly highs attracted local buyers. Active growth since the beginning of the year has not only pushed the market away from the ‘bottom’ where prices had been hovering for two weeks prior, but also ensured a break above the 50-day moving average, which we have not seen in almost three months. In the near term, we are closely monitoring the market’s attempts to consolidate at $3.20T. An increase in selling will confirm the shift to a bear market. The ability to grow will indicate the end of a long and relatively deep correction, setting the stage for a rapid approach to highs above $4T. By default, we are in favour of a bearish scenario until proven otherwise.

Bitcoin surpassed the $92K mark, marking its fifth consecutive daily growth candle today and reaching its highest level since December 12th. Last month, market participants actively sold off the first cryptocurrency in the $92–95K range, halting attempts to form a rebound after the October-November sell-off. Has the market changed during this time? It is unlikely that it has become stronger, with no prospects for accelerated economic growth or more dovish monetary policy sentiment.

News Background

Retail investors actively bought Bitcoin in the second half of last year, while large players were passive or took profits at October highs. Santiment calls this dynamic alarming. At the same time, there has been a decline in interest in the asset in the media and on social networks.

In December, large holders sold 20,000 BTC. However, the volume of leveraged positions grew by $2.4 billion, despite a 40% decline in trading activity, notes analyst Crazzyblockk. The current market situation does not signal that the bottom has been reached.

Long-term Bitcoin holders have stopped selling for the first time since July, according to VanEck. The current sideways movement of Bitcoin against the backdrop of record growth in gold and silver is comparable to the ‘calm before the storm,’ which is usually followed by a rally in the crypto market, a Bull Theory analyst hopes.

According to Lookonchain, an investor with $11 billion in assets has opened long positions on futures for the three leading cryptocurrencies worth $749 million. In October, he correctly predicted the market crash.

In the near future, Bitcoin and Ethereum are expected to receive a significant influx of capital due to the end of the rally in the precious metals market, according to Garrett Jean, former CEO of the now-defunct BitForex exchange.

According to Etherscan, the Ethereum network set a new record of 2.2 million transactions processed per day. Transaction costs fell to historic lows ($0.17).

Bitcoin has now turned 17. The anonymous creator of Bitcoin, under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, launched the network for the first cryptocurrency on January 3rd 2009. It was on this day that the very first block in the network was created, known as the genesis block, which contained 50 BTC. (FxPro)

News

Forex runs to safe havens

Growing political risks in Britain are putting pressure on European currencies

Geopolitics are reviving investor interest in gold The rise in geopolitical risks against the backdrop of the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the US has increased demand for the US dollar as a safe-haven currency. Coupled with expectations of a prolonged pause in the Fed's monetary expansion cycle and political turmoil in Europe, this has allowed EURUSD bears to mount a counterattack and push the pair below 1.17. The futures market estimates the chances of a cut in the federal funds rate at the January FOMC meeting at 17% and 48% at the March meeting. The Fed intends to sit on the sidelines until at least spring. This plays into the hands of the US dollar. It is strengthening against major world currencies amid a wide spread between US bonds and their European and Asian counterparts. Moreover, there are signs of trouble brewing in Europe. Keir Starmer's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level among all British prime ministers in the last half-century. It is worse than that of Liz Truss, who is known for her quick resignation due to turmoil in the financial markets. As a result, the Labour Party is discussing a change of leader. Keir Starmer warns that his removal from power will plunge the country into complete political chaos and open the door to Nigel Farage, who is leading in the polls, for a new prime minister. The rise in political risks in Britain is putting pressure not only on the pound but also on other European currencies. Following GBPUSD, EURUSD is falling off a cliff. Politics and geopolitics are forcing investors to seek safe havens. The best option appears to be gold, which shone in 2025. The precious metal managed to rebound from local lows thanks to a spectacular operation by US special forces in Venezuela. Investors successfully bought up the dip in the XAUUSD pair. However, the market may quickly come to the conclusion that events in Latin America will have a muted impact on both the global economy and oil. Venezuela, with its production falling from 3.5 million bpd in the 1970s to 1 million bpd today, is only the 18th largest producer of black gold in the world. If investors decide that the regime change in Caracas will not lead to turmoil, they will dump safe-haven assets. At the same time, pressure on gold may come from the strengthening of the US dollar amid a prolonged pause in the Fed's cycle of monetary policy easing. The Australian dollar appears to be the favourite thanks to expectations of a key rate hike by the Reserve Bank and the Chinese economy's adaptation to US tariffs. (FxPro)

News

Media Man Favs

Jan 5 towards Jan 6

TKO $203.72 -3.11 -1.50%

Alphabet Inc Class A $316.21 +1.06 +0.34%

Netflix Inc $91.47 +0.48 +0.52%

Paramount Skydance Corp $13.00 -0.19 -1.40%

Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.57 -0.11 -2.35%

Mercedes Benz Group ADR $17.68 -0.38 -2.10%

Formula One Group Series A $90.10 +1.03 +1.16%

Caterpillar Inc $616.86 +18.48 +3.09%

Volvo ADR (Owner of Mack Trucks) $32.64 +0.30 +0.92%

Tesla $451.67 +13.60 +3.10%

Microsoft Corp $472.85 -0.090 -0.019%

Mineral Resources Ltd $55.81 +0.37 +0.67% (ASX)

Rio Tinto Ltd $149.59 +1.90 +1.29% (ASX)

BHP Group Ltd $46.48 +0.72 +1.57% (ASX)

The Lead Up

Jan 5

Sydney, Australia

ASX futures up 11 points/ 0.1%: 8718
AUD +0.3% at US66.93¢
Bitcoin $91,320.85 +0.79%
Dow +0.7% S&P +0.2%
NAS flat
Gold +0.3% to $US4332.29 an ounce
Brent oil -0.2% at $US60.75 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% at $US105.40 a ton

News

Double Check On Numbers

Australian Dollar: $0.6686 USD (up $0.0016 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.40 USD (up $US1.40 USD)
Oil Price: $57.32 USD (down $0.10 USD)
Gold Price: $4,332.36 USD (up $6.92 USD)
Copper Price: $5.6980 USD (up 0.0040 USD)
Dow Jones: 48,382.39 (up 319.10 points)

News

Australia/ASX

ASX to grind higher as rate talk dominates

Future pricing on Friday night suggested that Australian equities will gain around 0.1 per cent when the market opens on Monday. Stephen Miller from GSFM expects equity markets to 'grind' slightly higher in 2026; he adds that there will eventually be a correction, but contends that the US military operation in Venezuela is unlikely to provide the catalyst for a major pullback. Meanwhile, the upcoming release of Australia's monthly CPI data for November will be a key focus for local investors in the coming week, and may influence the Reserve Bank's interest rate decision in February. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.15 per cent to 8,727.8 points on Friday. (RMS)

News

Paspaley family's hospitality pivot as pearling profits lose their lustre

Filings with the corporate regulator show profits at Pearl Corporation of Australia were at $13.5 million in the 12 months to 30 June, down from $27.8 million a year earlier. The Pearl Corporation of Australia is one of the major vehicles of the Paspaley family, one of Australia's most noted pearling dynasties. With an estimated fortune of $1.52 billion, the family has been moving away from its historical roots towards hotels and luxury cruising operations, as pearl sales take a hit. (RMS/AFR)

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Curious case of Fortescue's copper target

Iron ore miner Fortescue is set to acquire Alta Copper in a deal worth more than $151 million, with Fortescue having held a stake of almost 20 per cent in the South American explorer for almost six years. By the time it announced its bid for Alta in December, Fortescue had lifted its stake to nearly 36 per cent, while disclosures made by Alta to the Toronto Stock Exchange in the last few days before Christmas show that Fortescue had made three prior overtures to acquire the company over the past four years. (RMS)

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Snapshot/Profile: TKO Group

TKO is a media and live event company that owns the popular WWE and UFC brands. The company’s third-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings report showed revenue of $1.12 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $360 million (with a 32% margin), and increased full-year guidance to an upward range of $4.72 billion and $1.58 billion for revenue and adjusted EBITDA, respectively.

It’s no wonder TKO shares are up 53% so far this year – and they could rise more. MoneyFlows data shows how Big Money investors are betting heavily on the stock.

TKO Group Draws Institutional Interest

Institutional volumes reveal plenty. In the last year, TKO has enjoyed strong investor demand, which we believe to be institutional support.

Plenty of discretionary names are under accumulation right now. But there’s a powerful fundamental story happening with TKO Group.

TKO Group Fundamental Analysis

Institutional support and a healthy fundamental backdrop make this company worth investigating. As you can see, TKO has had strong sales growth:

1-year sales growth rate (+67.4%)

3-year sales growth rate (+38.3%)

Source: FactSet

Also, EPS is estimated to ramp higher this year by +155.8%.

Now it makes sense why the stock has been generating Big Money interest. TKO has a track record of strong financial performance.

TKO Group Price Prediction

The TKO action isn’t new at all. Big Money buying in the shares is signaling to take notice. Given the historical gains in share price and strong fundamentals, this stock could be worth a spot in a diversified portfolio.

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NYSE

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and broader US markets are open today (Monday, January 5, 2026) for regular trading hours (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET).

This is the second full trading week of the year, following the New Year's holiday closure on January 1 and the first trading session on January 2.

Recent Market Performance

The first trading day of 2026 (Friday, January 2) saw mixed but mostly positive results:S&P 500: Closed slightly higher (up ~0.19% to around 6,858), supported by gains in semiconductors.

Dow Jones Industrial Average: Ended higher, snapping a prior losing streak, with boosts from chips (e.g., Nvidia, Intel) and industrials like Boeing.

Nasdaq Composite: Closed nearly flat (down ~0.03%), despite intraday gains in tech.

Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE, with semiconductor stocks rallying (Philadelphia Semiconductor Index up ~4%).

Notable movers included furniture retailers (e.g., Wayfair +6%, RH +8%) after delayed tariff hikes on certain categories.

Key Context and Outlook for 2026

2025 was a strong year: S&P 500 up ~16-17%, Nasdaq ~21%, Dow ~14% — marking three consecutive years of double-digit gains.

Wall Street analysts are optimistic for 2026, with average S&P 500 year-end targets around 7,600–8,000 (implying 11–16% upside).

Expectations include continued AI-driven growth, potential Fed rate cuts (possibly more dovish under new leadership), and moderate economic expansion.

Upcoming catalysts: December jobs report (recently released or imminent), Q4 earnings season starting mid-January (e.g., JPMorgan on Jan. 13), and ongoing focus on tariffs, inflation, and Fed policy.

News

The Lead Up

Summary and In-Depth Option

Media Man Biz Watercooler

Jan 3

Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York

AUD +0.3% to US66.89¢

Bitcoin +1.9% to $US89,854

Wall St:
Dow +0.7%
S&P +0.2%
Nasdaq -0.04%
VIX -0.34 to 14.61
Gold -0.00% to $US4319.21 an ounce
Brent oil -0.1% to $US60.77 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US105.40 a ton
10-year yield: US 4.19% Australia 4.83%

News Flashback

The Lead Up

Media Man Favs

Jan 2

TKO $206.94 -2.06 -0.99%

Alphabet Inc Class A $315.15 +2.15 +0.69%

Netflix Inc $90.99 -2.77 -2.95%

Paramount Skydance Corp $13.18 -0.22 -1.64%

Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR $4.68 +0.080 +1.74%

Mercedes Benz Group ADR $18.06 +0.49 +2.79%

Formula One Group Series A $89.07 -0.31 -0.35%

Caterpillar Inc $598.41 +25.54 +4.46%

Volvo ADR (Owner of Mack Trucks_ $32.34 +0.40 +1.25%

Tesla $438.07 -11.65 -2.59%

Microsoft Corp $472.94 -10.68 -2.21%

Mineral Resources Ltd $55.44 +1.06 +1.95% (ASX)

Rio Tinto Ltd $147.69 +0.87 +0.59% (ASX)

BHP Group Ltd $45.76 +0.27 +0.59% (ASX)

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NYSE

New York Stock Exchange

The NYSE floor was active on January 2, with traders marking the start of trading in the new year

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) resumed trading on January 2, 2026, after being closed on New Year's Day (January 1). Markets kicked off the new year on a positive note, snapping a four-day losing streak from the end of 2025.Key Market Performance on January 2, 2026:The S&P 500 closed slightly higher, supported by gains in semiconductor stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended higher, boosted by names like Nvidia, Intel, and Boeing.

Chip stocks led the rally, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index up around 4%.

Overall, U.S. markets started 2026 positively amid optimism for continued tech-driven growth, though no "Santa Claus rally" materialized at the end of 2025.

2025 Year-in-Review Highlights:

The S&P 500 finished 2025 up 16.4%, marking its third consecutive year of gains over 15%.

Tech and AI-related stocks dominated performance in 2025.

Notable Stock Movements and News:

Semiconductor and AI-related shares (e.g., Nvidia, Applied Materials, Western Digital) rallied strongly on January 2.

Tesla shares dipped after Q4 deliveries missed estimates, but analysts remain bullish on its autonomous and robotics potential for 2026.

Software stocks like Salesforce and CrowdStrike faced pressure.

Upcoming Focus for 2026:

Investors eye Federal Reserve policy, interest rate cuts, and corporate earnings growth.

Expectations for further market gains persist, with AI and tech themes continuing to drive sentiment.

News

ASX

As of January 3, 2026, the S&P/ASX 200 (commonly referred to as the ASX 200) is trading around 8,729.60 points, up approximately 0.18% (+15.30 points) during the session.

Market Status: The ASX is open today (Saturday is not a trading day; normal hours are Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM AEDT).

Recent Performance:

Closed 2025 at approximately 8,714 points (December 31, 2025).

First trading day of 2026 (likely January 2) saw modest gains, with reports of the index closing or trading around 8,728–8,730 points amid thin holiday liquidity.

The index tracks the performance of the 200 largest companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange by float-adjusted market capitalization, serving as Australia's primary stock market benchmark.

News/Overview

Mag 7

These companies collectively represent about one-third of the S&P 500's market capitalization and have significantly influenced broader market trends.

In 2025, performance diverged: Alphabet and Nvidia were top performers (with Alphabet leading strongly in Q4), while others like Amazon lagged (single-digit gains). The group as a whole outperformed the average S&P 500 stock but showed rotation toward AI-focused names.Heading into 2026, analysts see continued potential from AI investments, though risks include high valuations, competition, and regulatory scrutiny. There's also an ETF for equal-weight exposure: the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS).

The Magnificent Seven (Mag 7) refers to a group of seven leading U.S. tech stocks that have dominated market performance in recent years, driven by innovation in AI, cloud computing, e-commerce, and more.

As of early 2026, the standard list remains:

Apple (AAPL)
Microsoft (MSFT)
Alphabet (GOOGL/GOOG) (Google's parent)
Amazon (AMZN)
Meta Platforms (META) (Facebook's parent)
Nvidia (NVDA)
Tesla (TSLA)

News

Tech Stock News

Major Tech Stock Overview as of January 3, 2026

Markets were closed on January 1, 2026 (New Year's Day), and the first trading day was January 2, 2026 (a Friday).

On that day, major indices showed mixed performance with a boost from semiconductor stocks:

S&P 500: Closed up 0.19% at approximately 6,858.
Nasdaq Composite: Closed down slightly at 23,236.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: Closed higher, snapping a prior losing streak.

Tech stocks, particularly chips, led gains amid ongoing AI enthusiasm, while some software names pulled back.

Key "Magnificent Seven" Tech Stocks

These are the leading large-cap tech companies (Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet/Google, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta Platforms, Tesla).

Exact closing prices for January 2 aren't detailed in reports, but highlights include:

Nvidia (NVDA): Up ~1.5%, continuing strong momentum as the AI leader.

Semiconductor-related names like Micron and AMD rose significantly (Micron +7%, AMD +3%), lifting the sector.

Overall, tech remains a dominant theme entering 2026, with analysts optimistic about AI-driven growth but noting high valuations and potential for rotation to other sectors.

Broader Tech Sector Trends

AI and chips are expected to drive gains in 2026, with capex from Big Tech projected at massive levels.

Analysts' top picks often include Nvidia, Microsoft, and others from the Magnificent Seven.

Risks: Elevated valuations and potential AI "bubble" concerns

News

Bulls And Bears def

Bull and bear refer to market trends and investor sentiment: a bull market signifies rising prices, optimism, and growth (like a bull thrusting horns up), while a bear market means falling prices, pessimism, and contraction (like a bear swiping paws down), with investors buying in bull markets and selling in bear markets, influencing overall market direction.

News

The Lead Up

ASX futs down 33 pnts/0.4% to 8674
AUD +0.2% at US66.80¢
BTC $89,838.67 +1.90%
Dow +0.2%
S&P -0.2%
NAS -0.4%
Gold -0.1% to $US4314.82 an ounce
Brent oil -0.4% at $US60.62 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US105.40 a ton

News

Gold And Silver

Gold spot price is trading around $4,330–$4,350 per troy ounce, extending gains from a remarkable 2025 where it rose over 64% year-over-year, marking its strongest annual performance in decades.Silver spot price is around $72–$74 per troy ounce, up significantly after surging more than 144% in 2025, driven by industrial demand and safe-haven flows.

The gold/silver ratio currently sits near 59–63, meaning it takes about 60 ounces of silver to buy one ounce of gold—lower than historical averages, reflecting silver's stronger relative performance lately.

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Fun Facts

Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is home to iconic tech giants with sprawling campuses:

Apple

Apple Park (the "Spaceship" in Cupertino).

Google (Alphabet)

Googleplex in Mountain View.
Meta (Facebook) in Menlo Park.

Nvidia, Intel, Cisco, and more.
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Best Quotes