Welcome back!
Here’s your must-read news this morning:
I’ve got all the details for you, so let’s dive in.
— Josh
MARKETS
(Credit: White House/Daniel Torok)
Market Roundup
🏦 Economy
⭐ Editor’s Pick: France and Germany called for triggering a "trade bazooka" to retaliate against Trump's tariff threats on countries tied to his Greenland push. (POL)
Trump's America First agenda outlined for the World Economic Forum in Davos. (FBN)
Global fund managers reached peak bullishness since 2021 in Bank of America's survey, with the Bull & Bear Indicator hitting a "hyper-bull." (RTS)
Bessent said Trump may decide on the next Federal Reserve chairman next week. (INV)
Bessent said that the Supreme Court is unlikely to overturn Trump tariffs. (CNBC)
📈 Hot Stock Picks
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Morningstar Chief U.S. Market Strategist Dave Sekera named 10 undervalued dividend stocks for 2026. (MS)
Insider Monkey highlighted the 12 best American energy stocks to buy now. (IM)
Motley Fool selected Dutch Bros as "the ultimate growth stock" to buy with $1,000 right now. (MF)
UBS named Genmab its top European biotech pick. (INV)
🏢 Industry
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani died at 93. (BBC)
McDonald's plans massive overhaul with major changes to restaurants, pricing and menus. (FOX)
Washington's proposed millionaire tax is sparking concerns of a broader levy and damage to the state's economy. (FBN)
Chinese regulators and Temu employees engaged in wild fistfights. (BBG)
Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathryn Ruemmler is under fire for her past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (WSJ)
🛢️ Energy & Commodities
⭐ Editor’s Pick: USGS estimates 1.6 billion barrels of undiscovered recoverable oil and 28.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Permian Basin. (FWI)
U.S. oil production now accounts for 20% of global output. (AA)
Gold prices hit a record high of $4,701.78/oz. (INV)
The U.S. is advancing plans to build a nuclear power plant in Israel. (COL)
🌕 Crypto
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Bermuda partnered with Coinbase and Circle to pioneer the world's first fully onchain economy. (TB)
The NYSE is developing tokenized securities platform to support 24/7 trading. (DEC)
A “crypto sniper” made a 220,000% fortune off a new viral memecoin. (CD)
3 things to watch that will move Bitcoin and crypto prices in 2026. (CD)
TECH
(Credit: Gage Skidmore)
Tech Roundup
🧠 AI
⭐ Editor’s Pick: A new AI startup, Humans&, aims to build collaborative tools that augment human workers rather than replace them. (NYT)
China’s AI boyfriend market is booming among Gen Z women. (WIR)
Software stocks plunged as fears of disruption from Anthropic's new Claude Cowork AI tool. (BBG)
OpenAI is on track to unveil its first consumer hardware device in the second half of 2026. (AX)
🤖 Robots
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Houston's new fast-casual spot iWok, opening Jan. 30, will use robotic chefs to prepare made-to-order Asian-fusion dishes. (PC)
AI robot dogs are taking over dangerous firefighting missions too risky for human responders. (IE)
A humanoid robot named Adam is drawing attention by performing the Charleston dance. (IE)
💰Venture Capital
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Accounting software startup Pennylane raised $204 million in a funding round led by TCV at a roughly $4.25 billion valuation. (BBG)
Vibe-coding startup Emergent raised $70 million in Series B funding led by Khosla Ventures. (BI)
Legal-tech startup Ivo raised $55 million in Series B funding led by existing investor Blackbird Ventures. (AX)
Unbox Robotics raised $28 million in a round led by ICICI Venture. (ET)
FREEDOM
(Credit: Don Lemon/YouTube)
Freedom Roundup
🏛️ Policy & Culture
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Australia’s Parliament approved stricter gun laws, while advancing “anti-hate speech” rules. (WHDH)
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened the door to an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s. (DM)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) issued a legal opinion on Martin Luther King Jr. Day declaring DEI programs unconstitutional. (SLN)
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DISCLAIMER: The CAPITAL newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The CAPITAL newsletter and its owner and operator, Josh Caplan, are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on this information. The CAPITAL newsletter is solely owned and independently operated by Josh Caplan, separate from any employer affiliations.
