PayPal shares were briefly halted due to volatility and are now up 9% after a Bloomberg report said the digital payments firm is attracting takeover interest from potential buyers, as the stock slid to a decade low. The report, based on unnamed sources, has not been confirmed by PayPal.
In a Monday televised speech on the occasion of Russia's "Defender of the Fatherland Day," President Vladimir Putin declared that the development of the nuclear triad "remains an absolute priority" for Russia, coming soon on the heels of the collapse of the New START nuclear treaty with the United States.
Authored by Jacki Thrapp via The Epoch Times,
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said he does not support President Donald Trump’s decision to send a hospital ship to Greenland.
“It’s going to be a no thank you from here,” according to a translation of Nielsen’s Facebook post on Feb. 22.
“President Trump’s idea to send an American hospital ship here to Greenland is noted. But we have a public health system where treatment is free for citizens. It’s a deliberate choice. And a basic part of our society. It’s not like that in the United States, where it costs money to go to the doctor.”
While much digital ink has been spilled on the Supreme Court's striking down of Trump's IEEPA tariffs and the consequences of this decision (see "Full Analysis Of The Supreme Court IEEPA Decision: How It Impacts The Economy, Policy And Markets"), a lot more is on deck for this week when we will also have more geopolitical headlines to contend with, as the latest round of US-Iran talks is expected in Geneva on Thursday. The talks come amid a recent buildup of US forces in the region and yesterday the New York Times was the latest outlet to report that Trump is considering an initial targeted strike against Iran in the coming days, which could be followed by a larger attack if Iran does not give in to US nuclear demands. Other highlights for the week ahead include the State of the Union address in the US (late tomorrow), US PPI and preliminary CPIs in Europe (both Friday). In earnings, the focus will be on Nvidia, Salesforce (both Wednesday) and Home Depot (tomorrow). Nvidia’s earnings could be the most important of these but expect lots of headlines from the State of the Union speech.
Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance
There’s an obvious growing failure at the center of modern markets that, as a former short seller, has become beyond obvious to me over the years.
It isn’t just fraud or aggressive accounting. It’s the ecosystem that allows both to thrive: financial media that won’t press, and a sell side that won’t risk upsetting management teams they depend on for access.
While sentiment is sagging to multi-year lows, 'hard' data is helping support growth forecasts (GDPNOW) and holding stocks at record highs.
This morning we get a fresh glimpse at America's manufacturing segment - hard data - with Orders data (which is expected to drop MoM in December).
Update (9:40am ET): In response to the EU's decision to freeze ratification of Trump's landmark deal, the US president has come out swinging and on Truth Social threatened any countries that "play games" with the supreme court decision that they "will be met with a much higher tariff." It just isn't clear what the procedure for these much higher tariffs - aside from Section 122 which is limited to 150 days - will be now that IEEPA has been ruled unconstitutional.
Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S plummeted again on Monday after the company reported trial results showing its next-generation obesity shot, CagriSema, delivered 20.2% weight loss at 84 weeks, compared to 23.6% for Eli Lilly & Co.’s tirzepatide (Zepbound).
Authored by Amin Haqshanas via CoinTelegraph.com,
The developer behind the fast-growing open-source AI agent framework OpenClaw has confirmed that any mention of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies on its Discord server can lead to removal.
Stock futures slumped after Trump’s weekend tariff tantrum added uncertainty to American trade policy and was another blow to bullish outlooks for 2026. The Supreme Court’s tariff ruling means a big source of fiscal revenue from 2025 may have to be refunded (although if it is refunded to US consumers, who bore the brunt of tariffs as most liberals analysts concluded, it would represent a huge pre-midterm stimulus). As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures were 0.5% lower, giving up almost all Friday gains, while Nasdaq 100 contracts sliding -0.6%. In pre-market trading, there is a defensive tone as Mag7 names are mostly lower, Semis are coming for sale (NVDA flat ahead of earnings on Wednesday); and, most sectors are seeing weakness with pockets of positive performance in HC, Aero/Def, Materials, and Utilities. “We started 2026 with a bullish outlook — but not even two months into the year, many of our assumptions are being challenged,” wrote the Bloomberg Economics team led by Anna Wong. The risk of war in Iran and the AI scare are also denting optimism. The dollar recouped losses while bond yields are flat-to-down 1bp after spiking on Friday on fears the SCOTUS ruling will unleash much more debt issuance. Commodities are seeing weakness in Energy with WTI down 60bp, Ags being sold perhaps on lower tariffs, and precious metals maintain their incessant bid. Today we get factory orders and the final December durable goods report. Key events this week include Trump’s State of the Union Address tomorrow, Nvidia earnings on Wednesday and PPI data on Friday.
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
Disney’s latest cartoon misfire, “Captain Durag,” sparked a firestorm of criticism for allegedly stereotyping black culture—until the black creator stepped forward, promptly defusing the leftist mob’s fury.
The Sunday killing of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), by Mexican security forces unleashed coordinated cartel retaliation attacks, driving rapid instability across Guadalajara (Jalisco's capital) and spilling into high-traffic resort areas, including Puerto Vallarta.
