📈 Stocks / Finance

ASML Surges on AI Demand, Beats Earnings Expectations

Yahoo Finance

ASML stock rose 4.3% after surpassing earnings forecasts, reporting €6.85 EPS vs. €6.68 expected and €9.2B revenue vs. €9B forecast. AI-driven EUV machine orders hit €7B, doubling estimates. CEO Fouquet dismissed concerns over DeepSeek’s AI model, citing AI expansion as a long-term growth driver.

Fed Holds, Markets Dip as Investors Await Clarity

Reuters

U.S. stocks declined as the Fed maintained rates but dropped language on inflation ‘progress,’ fueling uncertainty on cuts. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% before mixed Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla earnings. European stocks hit record highs, while Nvidia reeled from China's AI disruption. Treasury yields stayed steady, and oil hit a YTD low.

Arabica Coffee Hits Record $3.60/Lb as Global Supply Tightens

Reuters

Arabica coffee prices surged past $3.60/lb amid dwindling Brazilian supplies and slow sales in Vietnam and Central America. ICE futures peaked at $3.6945/lb, up nearly 15% YTD. Brazil’s 2025 crop is forecasted 4.4% lower, with buffer stocks at just 500,000 bags. Sucden projects a fourth consecutive global deficit.

🪙 Crypto

Solana’s Stablecoin Surge Signals Institutional Interest

Forbes

Solana’s stablecoin supply doubled to $10B in January, outpacing Ethereum’s 4.4% growth. Fueled by memecoins and increased DEX activity, Solana hit $39.2B in daily volume. Institutional investors are eyeing the network’s scalability and low fees, with new ETF filings reinforcing its potential as a Bitcoin and Ethereum rival.

🌎 Global Economy

Global Finance Faces Shifting Power and Structural Risks

World Economic Forum

The 2025 Davos forum highlighted growing challenges to US financial primacy as emerging economies build alternative financial architectures. Rising debt, market fragmentation, and AI-driven shifts are reshaping capital flows. Private markets now eclipse public ones, raising concerns about wealth concentration and regulatory gaps.