COMPANIES. Amazon cuts robotics jobs. Amazon eliminated at least ONE HUNDRED corporate roles in its robotics division. The company says the move is part of a review of advanced technology teams. The robotics unit develops automated systems for fulfillment centers across the United States. Amazon states robotics remains STRATEGIC, even as it restructures teams. The cuts follow earlier workforce reductions this year. THE ECONOMY. Services activity hits FIFTY SIX POINT ONE. The Institute for Supply Management says its non manufacturing index rose to FIFTY SIX POINT ONE in February, up from FIFTY THREE POINT EIGHT in January. Economists expected a lower reading. Any number above FIFTY signals expansion. Business activity and new orders increased. The data indicates continued MOMENTUM in the services sector. INTERNATIONAL. Brazil advances European Union and MERCOSUL trade pact. Brazil’s Senate approved the agreement after more than TWENTY YEARS of negotiations. Argentina and Uruguay have ratified it. Paraguay still needs a lower house vote. The agreement covers tariffs and market access. MARKETS. United States stock futures edge lower as investors track Middle East tensions and oil prices. Volatility remains ELEVATED.

COMPANIES. Paramount downgraded to JUNK after studio deal. Fitch cut Paramount Global’s credit rating to JUNK status following its major studio transaction. The agency cited higher leverage and integration risks. The downgrade increases refinancing pressure and raises borrowing costs. Investors are reassessing the balance sheet as the company absorbs the impact of the deal. THE ECONOMY. Oil tensions lift inflation concerns. No new gross domestic product or Consumer Price Index data were released in the last twenty four hours. The next Consumer Price Index report is scheduled for March eleven, two thousand twenty six. Markets shifted focus to geopolitical risk. Rising oil prices fueled inflation fears. Treasury yields moved higher as traders adjusted interest rate expectations in the United States. POLITICS. United States signals naval escorts in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump said the United States Navy could escort oil tankers if necessary. The administration also plans political risk insurance support for maritime trade to stabilize energy shipments amid Middle East tensions. MARKETS. Stocks fall as Target shares jump. United States equities declined on conflict concerns. Energy prices climbed. Target projected annual sales above estimates for fiscal two thousand twenty six, and its shares rose sharply.

COMPANIES. Select Medical to go PRIVATE in multi-billion dollar deal. Select Medical Holdings agreed to be acquired by a consortium led by Robert Ortenzio, Martin Jackson and WCAS. The transaction values the company at about THREE POINT NINE BILLION DOLLARS including debt. The board approved the agreement and shareholders will vote in the coming months. The deal is expected to close in mid twenty twenty six pending regulatory clearance. POLITICS. Congress pushes WAR POWERS vote after Iran strikes. Lawmakers moved to force a formal vote following United States military strikes in Iran. Republicans defended the operation. Democrats demanded congressional authorization. The resolution could define or limit further military action in the Middle East. MARKETS. Oil jumps as conflict lifts inflation risks. Crude prices climbed sharply amid supply concerns. United States stock index futures fell. Defense and energy shares outperformed. Investors reposition portfolios as volatility rises. INNOVATION. Nokia and NVIDIA advance artificial intelligence radio access networks at Mobile World Congress twenty twenty six. Nokia demonstrated anyRAN software on graphics processing unit platforms. NVIDIA highlighted artificial intelligence driven radio benchmarks. Vendors target artificial intelligence native fifth generation and early sixth generation development.

COMPANIES. Shipping giants halt Hormuz transits. Hapag-Lloyd SUSPENDS sailings through the Strait of Hormuz and imposes a WAR RISK surcharge. Maersk and CMA CGM also reroute vessels. Hundreds of tankers and container ships divert or hold position. Insurers tighten coverage as tensions escalate. The move disrupts crude and cargo flows across a key energy corridor and freight rates face immediate pressure. THE ECONOMY. Oil surge raises inflation risk. Brent and United States crude post multi PERCENT gains on supply fears. Traders brace for key data this week including the manufacturing index and the monthly jobs report. Higher energy costs threaten to lift headline inflation. Bond markets attract safe haven flows and the dollar strengthens as volatility climbs. POLITICS. United States defends strikes on Iran. The administration confirms military action and reports American casualties. Lawmakers receive closed door briefings. A new poll shows about ONE IN FOUR respondents support the strikes. Congressional leaders signal further oversight hearings and the debate over strategy intensifies. MARKETS. Risk off trade hits equities. Stock futures fall as oil jumps. Defense shares advance on expectations of higher spending while technology stocks retreat and gold rises alongside government bonds.

COMPANIES. PARAMOUNT TO BUY WARNER BROS DISCOVERY FOR ONE HUNDRED TEN BILLION DOLLARS. Paramount Skydance agreed to acquire Warner Bros Discovery in a deal valued at ONE HUNDRED TEN BILLION DOLLARS, including about EIGHTY ONE BILLION DOLLARS in equity. Netflix withdrew from the bidding. The companies target SIX BILLION DOLLARS in cost savings. Regulators in the United States and Europe will review the merger. THE ECONOMY. U.S. PRODUCER PRICES RISE ZERO POINT FIVE PERCENT IN JANUARY. The Producer Price Index increased ZERO POINT FIVE PERCENT month over month and TWO POINT NINE PERCENT year over year. Services led the gain while goods slipped. The data adds pressure on the Federal Reserve to delay interest rate cuts and keep policy restrictive. POLITICS. PRESIDENT ORDERS HALT TO ANTHROPIC USE. The President directed federal agencies to stop using technology from Anthropic and asked the Pentagon to label the company a supply chain risk, affecting contracts and procurement. INNOVATION. OPENAI SECURES ONE HUNDRED TEN BILLION DOLLAR FUNDING ROUND. OpenAI closed a ONE HUNDRED TEN BILLION DOLLAR funding round with participation from Amazon and expanded its partnership with Amazon Web Services, committing significant artificial intelligence computing capacity to the cloud provider.

COMPANIES. Brink’s to acquire NCR Atleos in 6 point 6 billion dollars deal. Brink’s announced it will buy NCR Atleos in a cash and stock transaction valued at 6 point 6 billion dollars. The deal expands its presence in financial technology infrastructure and automated services. The company plans to integrate existing customer contracts into global operations and accelerate growth in higher margin segments. THE ECONOMY. Jobless claims rise to 212 thousand. Initial unemployment claims increased by 4 thousand to 212 thousand in the latest week. The four week moving average reached 220 thousand 250. The figures indicate a labor market that remains stable with no sharp deterioration as investors monitor possible interest rate moves. MARKETS. United States indexes fall as chip stocks slide. Major stock indexes closed lower pressured by semiconductor shares. A leading chipmaker recorded the largest single stock drag of the session triggering sector rotation and short term volatility in technology heavy benchmarks. INTERNATIONAL. United States and Iran hold third round of nuclear talks. Delegations met in Geneva to discuss verification measures and sequencing of commitments. Negotiations continue with gaps still under discussion.

COMPANIES. AXON shares JUMP seventeen percent after earnings BEAT. Axon reported fourth quarter revenue of seven hundred ninety seven million dollars and adjusted earnings of two dollars and fifteen cents per share. Both topped estimates. The company PROJECTS revenue growth of twenty seven to thirty percent in twenty twenty six, driven by demand for public safety devices and subscription software. Investors pushed the stock up more than seventeen percent in trading. ECONOMY. United States consumer confidence RISES to ninety one point two. The Conference Board index increased from a revised eighty nine point zero in January to ninety one point two in February. It marks the first rebound after a sharp decline. Expectations for jobs and income improved modestly. Spending outlooks remain cautious. MARKETS. TECH stocks LEAD Wall Street HIGHER. Major indexes advanced as Nvidia posted stronger than expected quarterly revenue, supported by its data center business. Traders focused on guidance and artificial intelligence spending trends. INNOVATION. AMD and Meta expand artificial intelligence chip DEAL. AMD announced a partnership to supply Instinct GPUs at multi gigawatt scale, aligning hardware and software for large scale infrastructure and intensifying competition.

COMPANIES. AMD seals 60 billion dollar AI chip deal with Meta. Advanced Micro Devices agreed to supply up to 60 billion dollars in artificial intelligence chips to Meta Platforms over five years. The agreement allows Meta to buy up to 10 percent of AMD. Shares of AMD jumped more than 6 percent in early trading. The deal strengthens AMD in the artificial intelligence race. THE ECONOMY. United States consumer confidence rises to 91 point 2. The Conference Board said its index increased 2 point 2 points in February to 91 point 2. The expectations index improved while the present situation index declined. More consumers said jobs are hard to get. Inflation remains a top concern. The data shows mixed momentum for the United States economy. POLITICS. Trump outlines priorities in State of the Union. President Donald Trump addressed Congress and detailed plans on immigration trade and economic policy. Lawmakers reacted along party lines and Senate Democrats criticized the approach to sanctions on Russia. MARKETS. Wall Street rebounds led by technology. The Dow rose 0 point 76 percent. The S and P 500 gained 0 point 77 percent. The Nasdaq advanced 1 point 05 percent.

COMPANIES. Hims and Hers posts RECORD revenue and profit. Hims and Hers reported full year 2025 revenue of 2 BILLION 350 MILLION dollars. Net income reached 128 MILLION dollars. Adjusted EBITDA totaled 318 MILLION dollars. Subscribers rose to MORE THAN 2 MILLION 500 THOUSAND, up 13 PERCENT year over year. The company PROJECTS 2026 revenue between 2 BILLION 700 MILLION and 2 BILLION 900 MILLION dollars. Investors focus on growth and margins. ECONOMY. Federal Reserve Governor highlights inflation and labor uncertainty. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller addressed inflation and labor market conditions. The Cleveland Federal Reserve updated its February inflation nowcast, signaling modest month to month pressure. The figures are model estimates, not official consumer price index data. Markets reassess the path of INTEREST RATES as policymakers weigh new data. POLITICS. Senate Democrats push tariff refund bill. Lawmakers introduced legislation requiring refunds, with interest, for tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court. The proposal sets a 180 DAY deadline and prioritizes small businesses. The move could return BILLIONS of dollars to importers. MARKETS. Wall Street drops more than 1 PERCENT. Major United States indexes fell OVER 1 PERCENT amid tariff uncertainty and artificial intelligence sector shocks. Treasury yields moved lower and gold prices rose, increasing volatility.

COMPANIES. NVIDIA earnings in focus. Investors await results from NVIDIA Corporation this week. The chipmaker sits at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. Its guidance could move major indexes. The company holds one of the largest weightings in the Standard and Poor’s five hundred. Analysts say data center demand and margins will be critical. Any shift in revenue forecasts may trigger sharp moves across artificial intelligence suppliers and semiconductor stocks. ECONOMY. Supreme Court halts emergency tariffs. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that tariffs imposed under emergency powers were unlawful. About one hundred seventy billion dollars in duties are affected. United States Customs will stop collections at twelve oh one a m Eastern Time. The decision raises uncertainty over federal revenue and possible refunds. POLITICS. Trump sets fifteen percent tariff. Donald Trump announced a new global tariff rate of fifteen percent using alternative authority. Trade partners signaled concern. The move may prompt fresh legal challenges. MARKETS. Gold rises on risk aversion. Spot gold climbed to a multi week high as investors sought safety. Equity futures weakened amid trade uncertainty and ahead of major technology earnings.