Most of the Magnificent 7 lagged the S&P 500 in 2025 for the first time since 2022, with gains concentrated in Alphabet and Nvidia. Early 2026 points to continued dispersion as investors reassess AI spending and profit prospects, with slower earnings growth expected for the group and a greater emphasis on select stock picking.

Walmart Inc. will join the Nasdaq 100 Index on January 20, 2026, taking the position currently held by AstraZeneca Plc as markets reopen after a holiday. Analysts earlier estimated the move could draw about $19 billion from index-tracking funds, while Walmart's market value nears $1 trillion amid expanding AI-driven and digital operations. The index change coincides with a planned leadership shift in February, when long-time CEO Doug McMillon will hand the role to U.S. chief John Furner.

On January 10, 2026, officials said they had fallback legal routes ready if the Supreme Court rejects President Trump's emergency tariff powers. Kevin Hassett cited planning to keep tariffs in place; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said collections would continue, while Kalshi put the odds at 31% and Treasury figures show $195 billion in FY2025 plus $62 billion so far in 2026.

By January 9 2026, Bitcoin and Ethereum's year-to-date gains had cooled to about 4%, while several altcoins delivered much stronger weekly returns. XRP and Solana climbed nearly 10% and 7%, and coins like Sui, Bittensor, and Shiba Inu gained between 14% and 17%, reflecting a shift into higher-risk assets before key U.S. economic reports. Analysts also highlighted record 2025 stablecoin volumes and Morgan Stanley's new Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana ETF filings as important structural developments.

In 2025, China maintained its position as the largest electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle market, with nearly 13 million units sold, accounting for 54% of total passenger car sales. Domestic manufacturers such as BYD and Geely gained ground while many foreign automakers scaled back, closed plants, or shifted strategies in both China and the United States. Government incentives supported demand, but some subsidies were reduced by the end of the year, slowing overall passenger car market growth.

On January 9 2026, President Donald Trump reiterated in a New York Times interview that he will not grant a pardon to Sam Bankman-Fried, who is serving a 25-year sentence over the FTX collapse. Bankman-Fried's prospects on prediction platforms remain low, with one market pricing his chances of a Trump pardon before 2027 at single-digit percentages. Trump has, however, issued clemency to other high-profile crypto-linked figures such as Ross Ulbricht and Changpeng Zhao.

According to the United Nations' latest forecast released Thursday, global growth is set to ease to 2.7% in 2026 from an estimated 2.8% in 2025, with trade growth falling to 2.2% from 3.8%. The report anticipates a modest rebound to 2.9% in 2027 and notes U.S. growth at 2% alongside softer inflation.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a survey conducted December 1–31, 2025 found one‑year inflation expectations rising to 3.4% from 3.2% in November, while job‑finding confidence fell to a record‑low 43.1%. Respondents also put debt‑delinquency risk at 15.3%. The BLS jobs report is due Friday, with CPI data on Jan. 13.

On December 2025, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that Bitcoin held on cryptocurrency exchanges can be seized in criminal investigations, after reviewing a money laundering case involving 55.6 BTC valued at about $413,000. The court held that seizure under the Criminal Procedure Act covers both physical objects and electronic information, confirming Bitcoin’s status as seizable virtual property and aligning South Korea with other jurisdictions that now recognize digital assets as property.