Rising demand for advanced memory chips is beginning to strain global supply chains, creating fresh pricing pressure across the electronics industry.

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest memory chipmaker, has signalled that shortages are no longer confined to specialist markets such as data centres and are now spilling into consumer electronics, said a Bloomberg report.

From smartphones and laptops to connected home appliances and vehicles, memory costs are climbing, forcing manufacturers to reassess how long they can absorb higher production expenses without adjusting prices.

The warning comes as electronics companies gather at CES in Las Vegas, where innovation is on display alongside mounting concerns about supply constraints.

Samsung’s position as both a leading chip supplier and a major consumer electronics brand gives it a clear view of how tightening memory markets could reshape pricing strategies across the sector.

Supply pressure spreads

Memory chips are a foundational component in modern electronics, and Samsung’s scale has historically insulated it from the worst shortages. That buffer is now thinning.

The company expects ongoing supply challenges to affect the entire semiconductor ecosystem, including its own product portfolio.

Even with in-house manufacturing, Samsung is exposed to the same market forces pushing up component prices worldwide.

The current squeeze reflects a broader imbalance between supply and demand.

Semiconductor production has struggled to keep pace with rapid shifts in technology, while inventories built during earlier downturns have largely been cleared.

As a result, pricing power is shifting back to memory suppliers after a prolonged slump in the sector.

AI demand reshapes markets

A major driver behind the renewed tightness is the surge in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The global buildout of AI data centres has created unprecedented demand for high-bandwidth memory, a premium product used to process vast volumes of data at speed.

This demand has boosted revenues and share prices for memory leaders such as Samsung and SK Hynix Inc., but it has also diverted supply away from other uses.

With high-margin data centre orders taking priority, manufacturers of consumer devices are facing longer lead times and higher costs.

This reallocation is reshaping supply lines that once served smartphones, PCs, and household electronics with greater predictability.

Industry-wide price signals

Samsung is not alone in flagging the risk of higher prices.

Dell Technologies Inc. and Xiaomi Corp. have both cautioned that rising component costs could lead to more expensive products.

Lenovo Group Ltd. took a more defensive approach last year, building up memory inventories in anticipation of shortages.

Market researchers are also pointing to sustained price pressure.

Counterpoint Research forecast in November that memory module prices could rise by 50% through the second quarter of this year, underlining how quickly conditions have tightened.

Samsung’s positioning

Despite these challenges, Samsung believes it remains better placed than rivals that rely entirely on third-party suppliers.

Its integrated manufacturing base provides more flexibility in managing supply and allocating chips across its product lines.

The company also sees longer-term demand catalysts emerging, particularly as artificial intelligence features become more common in mobile devices and encourage consumers to upgrade.

Samsung executives have indicated greater confidence looking ahead to 2026 compared with last year, citing the role of AI in driving replacement cycles for smartphones and other personal electronics.

That confidence, however, sits alongside the reality that sustained memory shortages may still translate into higher prices for consumers.

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Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence start-up xAI has raised $20 billion in new funding in an upsized round that more than doubles its valuation since last spring, underscoring investors’ appetite for AI even as the company faces mounting criticism over the content generated by its technology.

The company, which develops the Grok chatbot and its underlying models, had initially sought $15 billion at a valuation of about $230 billion.

On Tuesday, xAI said the larger round attracted backing from Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Investment Management, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s MGX fund.

Strategic investors include Nvidia and Cisco, which xAI said would support its expanding computing infrastructure.

Funding to fuel data centres and research

xAI said the fresh capital would be used to “expand its decisive compute advantage” through the construction of large-scale data centres and to support further research into advanced AI systems.

Nvidia, a key supplier of high-performance chips, already provides the hardware used to train and operate xAI’s models.

The start-up has been aggressively raising capital to keep pace in a highly competitive AI sector dominated by larger and more established rivals such as OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

In July, xAI raised $10 billion through a mix of loans and equity to fund the construction of its Colossus data centre in Memphis, Tennessee.

A month earlier, it sold $300 million of shares in a secondary offering.

Controversy over Grok’s content

The funding announcement comes as scrutiny intensifies over Grok’s output.

In recent weeks, the chatbot’s image generation feature has been accused of producing sexualised images of minors and adults, including non-consensual “undressing”, prompting concern from regulators and lawmakers in several countries.

UK technology secretary Liz Kendall said the content was “absolutely appalling” and urged the company to address the issue urgently.

Creating or sharing non-consensual intimate imagery or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated content, is illegal in the UK.

Britain’s media regulator Ofcom said it had contacted xAI to assess whether an investigation was warranted.

In France, ministers reported Grok’s output to prosecutors and referred the case to media regulators to assess potential breaches of the European Union’s Digital Services Act.

By contrast, lawmakers in the US, where xAI is headquartered, have so far been relatively quiet.

xAI said in a statement posted on X that it takes action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and cooperating with law enforcement.

It added that users prompting Grok to create illegal material would face the same consequences as those who upload such content.

Integration with X and expansion plans

In March, xAI acquired social media platform X for $45 billion, bringing the two Musk-owned businesses under one umbrella.

The deal allows xAI to combine data, computing resources, and staff, while giving Grok direct access to X’s user base.

The company said it now has more than 600 million monthly active users across the two platforms.

xAI said it is training the next version of its large language model, Grok 5, and plans to launch new consumer and enterprise products.

It is also developing models to support planned expansion into gaming and robotics.

A familiar pattern amid the AI boom

This is not the first time xAI has announced major funding during a period of controversy.

Last July, a week after Grok generated antisemitic and pro-Nazi content, the company disclosed it had secured a nearly $200 million contract with the US Pentagon.

The latest funding highlights the continued surge of investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence.

Nearly two-thirds of global venture capital funding in the first nine months of 2025 went to AI companies, according to PitchBook, reflecting a market willing to back rapid growth despite rising regulatory and ethical concerns.

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IKEA is closing a number of its large-format stores in China as it reworks how it reaches customers in a market reshaped by a prolonged property downturn and tougher competition.

The Swedish furniture retailer is moving away from its long-standing blue-box model in some major cities and placing greater emphasis on smaller outlets and faster delivery.

The shift reflects changing housing patterns, weaker demand for home furnishings, and the growing dominance of online shopping in urban China.

Rather than exiting the market, IKEA is repositioning itself to match how and where Chinese consumers now buy furniture.

The company said it will shut seven of its signature big stores, with operations ending on Feb. 2.

The closures affect locations in cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Tianjin.

These stores were designed for destination shopping and large-volume purchases, a format that has become harder to sustain as fewer households move into new homes and spending on home upgrades slows.

Impact of the property slowdown

China’s extended property slump has weighed heavily on furniture demand in recent years. New home purchases have declined, and renovation activity has also cooled in several urban centres.

This has reduced foot traffic at large furniture outlets that rely on customers making significant one-off purchases.

At the same time, local online furniture brands offering lower prices and faster delivery have gained market share.

These players operate with lighter physical footprints and can respond more quickly to shifts in consumer demand.

The combined pressure has made large, out-of-town stores less efficient for international retailers operating in China.

Shift toward smaller stores

While closing some large locations, IKEA plans to expand its presence through smaller format stores.

Over the next two years, it aims to open around a dozen compact outlets in Beijing and Shenzhen.

These stores typically feature curated product selections, design services, and digital ordering rather than extensive on-site inventory.

The smaller formats are designed to be closer to residential areas and public transport hubs. This allows the company to engage with customers who live in smaller apartments and prefer frequent, convenience-led shopping.

It also reduces operating costs compared with maintaining large warehouse-style stores.

Digital channels take centre stage

Following the closures, IKEA will continue to operate 34 physical stores across China, along with two flagship e-commerce shops and additional digital sales channels.

The company said these platforms collectively reach more than 1 billion Chinese consumers.

Online sales and fulfilment now play a central role in the retailer’s China strategy.

IKEA is working with JD.com Inc. to provide instant delivery services across seven Chinese cities.

This partnership is intended to meet expectations for same-day or rapid delivery, which has become standard in China’s e-commerce market.

China’s place in IKEA’s global business

China’s contribution to IKEA’s overall sales has declined over the years, although it remains among the company’s top 10 markets globally.

The retailer has not disclosed detailed financial figures for its China operations in recent years.

The decision to downsize certain stores indicates a recalibration rather than a withdrawal.

By reallocating resources toward smaller stores, digital platforms, and local delivery networks, IKEA is adapting its model to fit a market where housing trends, consumer habits, and competitive dynamics have shifted.

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Mounting evidence, from easing inflation to a softening jobs market, suggests the Bank of England’s fight against price rises is nearing a conclusion, with financial experts now predicting a shift to rate cuts in March and June, though February is considered too soon for action.

Despite the impending possibility of rate cuts, current economic data suggests the Bank’s task is incomplete, a view with which the Bank itself appears less certain and whose committee is clearly divided, ING Group said in a report on Wednesday.

Consider the labour market as an example. In 2022, the employment landscape was tight, marked by a one-to-one ratio of job vacancies to unemployed workers and two-thirds of businesses struggling to recruit, ING said.

Influx of economic migration

This tight market was subsequently altered by a massive influx of economic migration. 

From late 2019 to late 2024, the number of non-EU nationals employed in Britain effectively doubled. 

This occurred even as the number of workers from the European Union decreased, and only 24,000 additional UK nationals entered the workforce. 

Notably, the proportion of non-EU workers in lower-wage sectors like hospitality and health/social care jumped from 10% to 20%.

“The result is that unfilled job openings are down sharply – and more so than in other developed economies,” James Smith, developed markets economist, UK, at ING Group, said in the report. 

The ratio of job openings to unemployed workers has fallen below pre-Covid levels, with only four vacancies available for every ten workers seeking employment, according to Smith.

Redundancies tentatively appear to be rising, and unusually, more companies are closing than opening.

Unemployment is increasing, data quality issues notwithstanding.

Fears of inflation surge overstated

The current situation is significant for two reasons.

Firstly, falling wage growth from 6% in January to 3.9% in October last year, potentially reaching 3%, suggests real disposable incomes will likely flatline. 

Secondly, fears of another inflation surge are overstated. Unlike 2022, workers and companies now lack the power to secure higher wages or prices in response to rising costs. 

While food prices spiked, ING does not expect the sustained inflation seen previously. 

Furthermore, food inflation is already beginning to fall, a trend supported by data from Western Europe and the falling UN gauge of food input prices.

BoE remains cautious

The recent weakness in GDP figures is another relevant factor. 

The UK economy expanded by only 0.1% in the third quarter and is projected to be flat in the fourth quarter, although this might exaggerate the actual degree of weakness. 

Since 2022, GDP data have consistently shown a stronger performance in the first half of the year compared to the second, suggesting a potential issue with the seasonal adjustment methodology.

“Listening to all of that, you might be tempted to conclude that the Bank will cut rates again at its next meeting in February,” Smith said. 

That was also our thinking after the data dropped in December. But after a surprisingly hawkish BoE decision last month, that now looks unlikely.

Despite the Bank of England cutting rates last month and hinting at another potential cut, they also delivered a fairly explicit message that subsequent rate cuts might not be imminent.

Governor Bailey of the Bank of England suggested the Bank might “slow the cadence” of interest rate cuts. 

Considering there were no cuts between August and December, this pace was already quite slow.

Market reactions show an April cut is almost fully anticipated, while the likelihood of a March cut is currently seen as 50:50.

A key point of agreement between both “doves” and “hawks” on the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee was the recent monthly BoE survey of businesses. 

This survey has indicated that expected wage growth is stabilising in the 3.5% to 3.8% range.

Therefore, the release of the next set of results from this critical survey on Thursday will be highly significant.

Next rate cut likely in March

Given the limited amount of new data expected before the early February meeting, it is unlikely to be sufficient to persuade the committee to support another interest rate cut next month, according to the ING report.

Services inflation, a key metric for the Bank, is expected to see a temporary increase in December.

This rise is attributed to the timing of airfare measurements.

By March, however, there will be three more releases of wage growth, which, assuming it continues to prove benign, should be a significant reassurance to the committee, ING said.

“For that reason, we think the Bank will be content with cutting rates again in March, and once more in June,” Smith said. 

At a time when there are near-unprecedented levels of division on the committee, it only takes one or two officials to change their stance to dramatically change the pace of rate cuts.

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The Schwab US Dividend Equity (SCHD) stock price staged a bullish breakout above a key resistance level as American equities accelerated. SCHD jumped to a high of $28.10, its highest level since November 2024. It has soared by 20% from its lowest level in 2025. 

Why the SCHD ETF stock underperformed the broader market

The SCHD ETF stock price experienced a total return of 7% in the last 12 months, much lower than the S&P 500 Index’s growth of 17.6%. This divergence happened because of its constitution.

The Schwab US Dividend Equity lagged behind the mainstream fund because it is made up of traditional companies. According to its website, energy represents the biggest share in the fund and is followed by consumer staples, health care, industrials, and financials. 

The top names in the funds are energy giants like Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Lockheed Martin, Merck, Verizon, and Bristol Myers Squibb.

On the other hand, the mainstream funds like QQQ and SPY are mostly made up of technology companies like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft that are benefiting from the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

The fund also experienced weak inflows because of its low dividend yield and growth. Data shows that the fund has a dividend yield of just 3.75%, lower than what government bonds are offering.

SCHD ETF will likely continue doing well this year as American equities continue their bull run. For one, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates several times this year as inflation continues moving downwards.

Lower interest rates often boost the stock market, especially the risky technology companies that dominate the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 indices.

The fund will also benefit from the potential earnings growth, with most analysts expecting American companies to continue growing this year. Data compiled by FactSet shows that the S&P 500 Index experienced double-digit growth rates in the last four consecutive quarters.

At the same time, the ETF may experience demand as investors rotate from the risky technology industry to value names. Odds of this rotation has jumped as some investors predict that the AI bubble will burst this year.

Schwab US Dividend Equity stock has formed a bullish pattern

Technical analysis suggests that the SCHD ETF has more upside in the coming weeks. The daily chart shows that the stock has formed an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, which often leads to more upside over time.

This pattern’s head is at $23, while the two shoulders are at $25, and the neckline is at $27. It has also remained above the 50-week and 100-week Exponential Moving Averages (EMA).

The SCHD ETF has also retested the ultimate resistance level of the Murrey Math Lines tool at $28. It is also slightly above the Supertrend indicator.

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where the stock continues rising, with the next key resistance level to watch being at $30, which aligns with the extreme overshoot level of the Murrey Math Lines tool.

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AMD stock price has moved into a technical bear market after falling by 20% from its highest point in October. It has dropped to $215, and has formed an island reversal pattern, pointing to a potential retreat despite the ongoing AI boom. 

AMD business has continued thriving

Advanced Micro Devices, a top player in the semiconductor industry, has come under pressure in the past few months. This retreat happened as concerns about the AI bubble continued and as competition accelerated.

The most recent financial results showed that the company’s business continued doing well. Its results revealed that its revenue jumped to a record high of $9.2 billion, up by 36% from the third quarter of 2024.

Most of this revenue growth was driven by its data center business, which has accelerated in the past few months. It also benefited from the growth of its server and PC businesses. 

AMD’s AI chips are widely seen as the best alternatives to the more advanced Nvidia semiconductors. Indeed, the company announced a large deal with OpenAI last year. 

READ MORE: AMD stock tumbles sharply: why chip giant is facing profit-taking after 2025 rally

This deal will see OpenAI deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs. AMD also gave OpenAI warrants of about 160 million shares. It will also see AMD make billions of dollars annually from OpenAI. IREN, a large collocation company, has also decided to use Nvidia and AMD GPUs in its data centers.

The results also showed that the company’s profitability continued growing. Its operating income rose from $0.7 billion in Q3’24 to $1.3 billion in Q3’25. The net income jumped by 61% to over $1.23 billion.

Wall Street analysts are highly optimistic that the company’s growth will continue in the coming years. The average estimate is that the company’s fourth-quarter revenue will come in at $9.65 billion, up by 26% from Q4’24. 

This figure will bring the annual revenue to $34 billion, up by 32% from what it made in 2024. The analysts also see its yearly revenue growing by 31% on a year-on-year basis.

AMD’s valuation metrics are elevated

Wall Street analysts are hopeful that the AMD stock price has more upside to go in the near term. Data compiled by MarketBeat shows that the consensus target for the stock is $277, up by nearly 30% from the current level. A year ago, the target was $191, meaning that analysts have continued to boost their estimates.

Some top analysts have delivered a bullish forecast for the stock recently. For example, Cowen reiterated its buy rating, while Raymond James, Wells Fargo, Barclays, and Piper Sandler have boosted their estimates to overweight. 

However, the main concern is that the company is severely overvalued. For example, AMD stock has a forward P/E ratio of 88.25, much higher than the sector median of 31.56. In contrast, Nvidia, which is growing at a faster pace, has a multiple of less than 50.

AMD stock price technical analysis

The daily chart shows that the AMD share price has been under pressure in the past few months. It has dropped from a high of $266 on October 29 to the current $214. 

A closer look shows that the stock has formed an island reversal pattern, a common bearish sign. This pattern happens after an asset makes a big gap and then consolidates. It often leads to a big reversal.

The stock has moved to the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA). Therefore, the most likely scenario is where it retreats and possibly hits the key support at $200. It may also drop further as it attempts to fill the up-gap. 

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Versant – a media business that Comcast has recently spun-off – started trading independently on Nasdaq today.

The separation marks a significant reshaping of CMCSA’s media assets, with VSNT positioned as a standalone player under the leadership of Mark Lazarus.

Versant’s portfolio includes notable assets like CNBC, MSNBC, USA Network, Rotten Tomatoes, and the Gold Channel.

In addition, it has rights to marquee sports properties such as the WNBA, the Premier League, and NASCAR.

However, VSNT shares debut on Nasdaq at a time when the industry faces significant headwinds, leaving investors to evaluate whether they can carve out a sustainable growth path.  

Versant stock faces headwinds in the near term

Versant stock enters the market at a time when traditional cable networks face mounting pressure.

In fact, subscriber declines are actually expected to accelerate in 2026, said Rich Greenfield, the cofounder of Lightshed Partners, in a CNBC interview today.

And the pressure, according to him, wouldn’t necessarily come from cord-cutting only – but from “cord shaving” as well, where consumers opt for smaller, cheaper bundles.

Moreover, competition will likely intensify for VSNT further as platforms like YouTube TV launch narrower packages in the coming months.

According to Greenfield, this trend will “hit every company in the ecosystem,” including Versant.

In order for VSNT to push higher, it must first prove that it can withstand shrinking linear revenues, he noted.

What Lazarus must deliver to drive VSNT shares higher

For Versant shares to win investor confidence, Mark Lazarus must demonstrate a strategy that goes well beyond aggregating cable networks.

As Greenfield put it on “Squawk Box”, buying more cable networks to have more scale “will be a failing strategy.”

Instead, Lazarus and his team must leverage existing brands to build adjacent businesses.

CNBC – for example – is a powerful financial news asset. However, it’s yet to evolve into a digital platform comparable to Bloomberg Terminal.

Meanwhile, GolfNow shows how brand extensions can create new revenue streams.

On the plus side, the company’s chief executive, Mark Lazarus, has already pledged that “investing to build these brands was simply not a priority” under Comcast – but that will change in 2026.

What to realistically expect from Versant in 2026

What Greenfield’s discussion with CNBC today suggests is that investors should temper expectations for VSNT stock in the near term.

According to him, the company must demonstrate that it can redeploy cash flow effectively – either through dividends, buybacks, or reinvestment into growth channels.

However, it’s strategy “isn’t going to happen in the next month or two” – but will take some time, the media industry expert added.

The broader industry shift toward fragmented bundles means Versant’s channels will face varying levels of demand, with sports and news likely enjoying higher floors than entertainment networks.

In 2026, success will hinge on whether Versant can extend its brands into digital-first businesses – and convince investors that it’s more than a legacy cable portfolio.

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Europe’s markets and politics jolted into motion as a dramatic US intervention in Venezuela rippled across global finance and diplomacy.

London stocks pushed toward historic highs amid a rush into defence and gold, while regulators intensified scrutiny of AI abuses and leaders from Copenhagen to Budapest warned of far-reaching consequences.

From energy prices to Arctic security, the continent is grappling with a fast-shifting geopolitical landscape that shows little sign of cooling.

FTSE 100 bears 10,000 as Venezuela crisis lifts defence stock

London’s blue-chip index climbed to the brink of 10,000 on Monday as geopolitical tensions from the US capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro sent traders scrambling for safety.

Gold miners like Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo jumped over 4%, while defence heavyweights BAE Systems surged 4.5% and Babcock hit all-time highs.

The precious metals rally reflected classic risk-off positioning, investors piling into haven assets as headlines turned dark.

Gold futures shot up 2.6% to $4,443 per ounce, while oil initially dipped as markets weighed longer-term Venezuelan supply implications.

The overall reaction suggests measured concern rather than panic.

UK regulator demands answers from Elon Musk’s Grok

Britain’s media watchdog Ofcom issued urgent demands to X and xAI on Sunday, seeking explanations for how Grok generated sexually explicit imagery of children and undressed photos of real people without consent.

The controversy erupted after the AI chatbot’s December feature enabled users to digitally remove clothing from images, a capability swiftly weaponised across the platform.

Grok acknowledged “lapses in safeguards” but stopped short of a genuine apology.

The backlash has turned international: France reported the content to prosecutors, India demanded corrective action within 72 hours, and the EU called the material “illegal.”

Creating or distributing such deepfakes violates UK law, and platforms face legal liability for failing to prevent distribution.

Elon Musk’s deflection only intensified scrutiny.

Denmark PM warns Trump’s Greenland threat is genuine

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued an urgent statement Sunday, asserting that President Trump genuinely intends to seize Greenland, this time backed by military muscle after capturing Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.

“It makes absolutely no sense,” Frederiksen declared on Facebook, demanding Washington cease “threatening a historical ally.”

Her warning came hours after Trump doubled down aboard Air Force One, citing national security and claiming Denmark couldn’t handle Arctic defence.

Greenland’s PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen fired back, calling Trump’s rhetoric “disrespectful” and firmly rejecting annexation fantasies, though notably open to dialogue through “proper channels.”

Orban sees energy windfall as Venezuela coup stabilises oil

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban praised the US military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Monday, framing it as an energy policy masterstroke for global markets.

Speaking at Budapest’s annual international press conference, Orban argued that Washington and Caracas combined would control 40-50% of world oil reserves, sufficient to significantly depress energy prices.

For Hungary, perpetually dependent on Russian oil and gas, cheaper global crude translates directly into relief on energy bills ahead of April elections, where inflation has battered its poll numbers.

Orban has secured a one-year Trump exemption from US sanctions on Russian energy imports, but lower global prices would provide additional relief.

His calculation: Trump needs cheaper energy to fund his economic agenda, and Venezuela’s integration into the Western orbit could deliver it.

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Markets lurched across energy, tech, and geopolitics as Washington injected fresh volatility into global trade and supply chains.

Trump’s vow to reopen Venezuela’s oil fields sent US refiners and Chevron surging, while tariff threats against India rattled emerging-market confidence.

In tech, Nvidia faces a defining moment at CES amid rising custom-chip competition, as Samsung deepens its all-in bet on Google’s Gemini.

Power, policy, and platforms collided in a high-stakes start to the week.

Chevron, US refiners soar as Trump promises Venezuela oil access

Energy stocks exploded higher Monday as President Trump pledged unfettered American access to Venezuela’s oil fields following Nicolás Maduro’s capture.

Chevron, the lone US major still operating in Venezuela, jumped 7.3%, while refiners Marathon Petroleum, Valero Energy, Phillips 66, and PBF Energy surged 5-16%.

Trump declared on Air Force One that US oil companies would “spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,” implying sanctions relief was coming.

The math is compelling: Venezuelan heavy crude aligns perfectly with Gulf Coast refinery configurations, and diesel shortages from Russian and Venezuelan sanctions have created acute demand.

However, analysts cautioned that actual production revival requires massive investment and faces political uncertainty. Venezuela pumped just 1.1 million barrels daily last year versus its historical 3.5 million peak.

Nvidia CEO Huang faces rivals at CES as competition intensifies

Jensen Huang takes the stage at CES Las Vegas on Monday, the tech world’s biggest showcase, as Nvidia’s AI fortress faces its fiercest assault yet from hyperscalers building custom silicon.

Google and Meta are hemorrhaging vast sums into proprietary chips to chip away at Nvidia’s 80%+ data center dominance, with Alphabet’s TPUs and Meta’s Trainium competing on cost and performance per watt.

AMD’s Lisa Su, presenting Monday evening, is positioning her MI300 series as a viable alternative, though still light-years behind Blackwell in real-world deployments.

To complicate matters, Nvidia just acquired Groq’s engineering talent and technology last month, itself a Google spin-off that built blazingly fast inference chips.

The irony stings: Huang must prove Nvidia’s next-generation accelerators beyond Blackwell outpace customer-built silicon, without alienating hyperscalers who are simultaneously funding competitors.

Samsung doubles down on Google Gemini

Samsung’s new co-CEO T.M. Roh declared Monday that the company will double its Gemini-powered devices to 800 million units this year, expanding from 400 million in 2025.

The aggressive push reflects Samsung’s desperation to reclaim the smartphone crown from Apple while fending off Chinese rivals across phones, TVs, and smart home products.

“We will apply AI to all products, all functions, and all services as quickly as possible,” Roh told Reuters in his first interview since November.

The strategy massively benefits Google, which locked in Alphabet’s latest Gemini 3 model against OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 in a fierce developer war.

Consumer awareness of Galaxy AI jumped from 30% to 80% in just one year, validating Samsung’s ecosystem bet.

Trump escalates tariff threats on India

US President Trump ratcheted up pressure on India Monday, warning of “very quick” tariff hikes if New Delhi doesn’t halt its Russian oil imports, claiming PM Narendra Modi personally assured him the cuts were coming.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Modi “knew I was not happy” and wanted to “make me happy,” framing energy trade as a quid pro quo for tariff relief.

India’s IT stocks plummeted 2.5% on the threat, with exports already hit by a 50% US tariff split evenly between retaliation for Russian oil and other trade demands.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham backed legislation imposing 500% tariffs on Russian oil importers unless Moscow agrees to ceasefire terms.

Yet India refuses capitulation: despite heavy sanctions on Russian suppliers Rosneft and Lukoil, refiners continue buying from non-sanctioned entities, keeping imports at 1.6 million barrels daily.

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 800 points, or roughly 1.7%, to breach an all-time record above 49,000 on Monday.

The historic rally came as Wall Street assessed the US military’s weekend capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a contained geopolitical event unlikely to spark global instability.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq climbed 0.8% each as investors rotated aggressively into energy, financials, and defense stocks.

The move signals confidence that markets can compartmentalise the Venezuela operation without triggering broader economic spillover.​

Energy and financials lead broad market rally

The catalyst was unmistakable: Chevron, the only major US oil firm still operating in Venezuela, rocketed 6% in midday trading.

The other energy services like Schlumberger surged 8% and ConocoPhillips jumped 7% on speculation about reconstruction contracts and asset recovery.

Financial stocks equally participated, with Goldman Sachs climbing 4% and JPMorgan Chase posting solid gains as traders positioned for a potentially less constrained capital market.​

More broadly, the Russell 2000 small-cap index outperformed, rising 1.04% at market open and extending gains throughout the session.

The energy sector emerged as the clear winner: Halliburton, Schlumberger, SLB, Valero Energy, Baker Hughes, and other oilfield services companies each gained 8% or more.

Even refiners like PBF Energy, which specialise in Venezuelan heavy crude, advanced 5.2%.​

Yet the broader equity rally suggests the market sees far more than just energy upside.

Copper futures jumped alongside gold, which surged 2% to near $4,440 per ounce, and silver exploded 7% higher.

These moves signal investors are hedging against longer-term geopolitical risk while simultaneously bidding up stocks, a classic “risk-on” positioning that reflects confidence in near-term containment.​

Technologically, growth names also participated.

Tesla rallied 4%, joining the broader market’s climb as traders favoured a rotation back into higher-beta names, assuming that geopolitical tension will remain localised.

Intel jumped 6.7% on chip sector strength, extending the semiconductor gains carried from January 2.​

US markets: Contained risk, no systemic threat

The muted Treasury yield response underscored investor discipline.

The 10-year yield dipped just two basis points to 4.17%, while the 2-year held at 3.46%, indicating that traders do not price in inflation spirals or forced Fed action as a result of the Venezuela operation.

Oil itself behaved unexpectedly: WTI crude rose 0.82% to $57.79 per barrel, and Brent gained 0.67% to $61.16, both recovering from early-session declines as traders parsed supply dynamics.​

Oil prices remain the key barometer: any signal that Venezuela’s production recovery is accelerating faster than consensus could prompt equity rotation back into defensives and high-yield names.

Central bank commentary from the Fed and ECB this week will matter equally, as interest rates ultimately drive valuations far more than a single geopolitical event.

The investors are betting that the Venezuela operation will succeed in stabilising the region and opening energy assets to American capital.

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