Notable market news this past week (25-Jan-26)
Here is the Skeptivest roundup of the latest market headlines for the week
🌍 Trump’s pursuit of Greenland fuels large protests and geopolitical tensions, weighing on global markets
Trump’s takeover pressure threatened to reignite a trade war with Europe: Tensions over the semi-autonomous region of Greenland erupted last weekend after Trump said he would hit eight European countries, including Germany, France, and the UK, with tariffs from next month unless they support his ambitions to secure expanded access to Greenland, a strategically important Arctic territory of Denmark. His stance has prompted strong responses from European leaders and NATO partners, who have reinforced strengthening Arctic security and signalled potential retaliatory actions such as tariffs of up to €93bn or restrictions on US companies operating within the European Union.
Why it matters: Greenland is geopolitically significant due to its strategic location in the Arctic, proximity to major sea routes, potential natural resources and its importance to US and European defence interests, with developments there carrying implications for NATO relations, US-Europe trade dynamics, and broader Arctic security policies.
Heighted risk aversion with gold soaring and equities sinking: Developments in Greenland have raised the geopolitical risk premium for European assets, increased volatility across equities and FX, and driven a sector rotation into defence and safe havens. Spot gold has rallied towards historical highs near US$5000/oz, with silver also pushing towards multi-year highs above US$100/oz. Meanwhile, US treasuries, DXY and major US stock indices slide with the heightened volatility.
☕️ Quick fire happenings to note
🌏 Global macro
- Davos 2026 highlights geopolitical tensions, economic resilience, and AI-driven global cooperation debates: Trump’s presence and controversial rhetoric – including remarks about Greenland and trade policies – dominated attention and sparked much political discourse over the week. Despite tensions, global economic leaders reiterated that global growth remains resilient even amid geopolitical headwinds, although challenges such as debt levels, inequality, and trade fragmentation persist. Discussions also focused on AI and technological change, including warnings that AI could reshape employment significantly – particularly for young and entry-level workers – and stressing the need for inclusive, responsible policy integration.
- China’s birthrate falls for fourth straight year, with fertility rate dropping below 1: China’s 2025 births hit a new historic low, extending a multi-year population decline and highlighting deep demographic challenges despite government efforts to encourage child-bearing. The record-low birthrate points to a shrinking workforce and an aging population, which will likely increase fiscal pressure, shift consumption towards healthcare and eldercare, and create structural opportunities in those sectors while weighing on youth-oriented sectors.
🏦 Individual stocks/companies
- Netflix Inc (-2.50% past 5D) shares fell with muted outlook, despite strong earnings: The streaming company surpassed revenue estimates and posted subscriber growth for the last quarter, reaching approximately 325million paid subscribers. However, its full-year revenue forecast of US$50.7-$51.7bn for 2026 fell short of analysts’ expectations, resulting in a mixed reaction in its share price.
- Life360 Inc (+19.40% past 5D) shares surged on robust operational metrics and upgraded 2025 guidance: The company indicated strong revenue growth (~31%-32% y/y) with expected full year 2025 revenue of US$486-489m and improving profitability, which exceeded its prior outlook. The location-sharing app also reported its highest quarterly active user growth ever, with global monthly active users hitting around 96 million and a large increase in paying subscribers, which fuelled the rebound and helped lift the ASX 200.
- Samsung Electronics’ (+5.70% past 5D) market cap topped 1,000 trillion KRW intraday – a first for a Korean company – as shares surged in Korea. Supported by strong earnings expectations and profit growth forecasts in the semi-conductor and AI sectors, KOSPI surged to record highs above 5,000 level, led by gains in major semiconductor stocks including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix (+1.60% past 5D). Analysts forecast significant year-on-year net profit growth for both companies - around +200% for Samsung – which has bolstered broader market optimism.
🇸🇬 Singapore related
- Singapore’s inflation remains moderate: Singapore’s core inflation held at 1.2% y/y in December, unchanged from the previous two months and in line with market expectations. However, core inflation averaged 0.7% y/y for the whole of 2025, falling significantly from 2.8% y/y in 2024. MAS and MTI said that core and overall inflation are projected to rise from their low rates in 2025, indicating inflationary pressures could build in 2026 due to labour cost and consumption trends, including those of public transport and utilities.
