On February 11, 2026, U.S. stock futures advanced as traders evaluated a stronger-than-expected January jobs report, which had been delayed by a brief government shutdown. Nonfarm payrolls grew by 130,000, the unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%, and average hourly earnings reached $37.17 with a 0.4% monthly gain. The figures lifted S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures, while higher Treasury yields reflected reduced expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts.

On February 10, 2026, Spotify Technology S.A. reported fourth-quarter earnings that surpassed analyst expectations, with earnings per share of €4.43 and revenue of €4.53 billion. The company's monthly active users rose to 751 million and premium subscribers reached 290 million, while its stock price jumped about 15% in early trading. Spotify guided for further user growth in the first quarter of 2026, projecting 759 million monthly active users, 293 million paid subscribers and revenue of €4.5 billion.

On February 10, 2026, Citi argued that several major software companies are well placed to perform across a range of artificial intelligence outcomes despite recent market volatility. The bank's analysts pointed to names such as Dynatrace, Microsoft, Cloudflare, Rubrik, and Palantir, emphasizing recurring revenue, scalable AI-ready platforms, and resilient earnings trends.

On February 8, 2026, Kevin Warsh was nominated as the next Fed chair, a move that, according to Catenaa, revived debate over shrinking and potentially "privatising" portions of the central bank's about $6.6 trillion Treasury and MBS holdings. Supporters see scope to let bonds roll off and tweak rules so banks hold more government debt, while critics warn of duration risk and fiscal-driven balance-sheet growth.

On February 8, 2026, the United States and India agreed on an interim trade framework that reduces U.S. tariffs on Indian exports from punitive levels of up to 50 per cent down to 18 per cent. In exchange, India will scale back or remove duties on a broad set of U.S. industrial and agricultural products, opening new opportunities but also drawing criticism from Indian farmer groups and opposition parties. The arrangement, shaped in part by New Delhi's decision to halt Russian oil imports, is framed by both governments as a step toward a more comprehensive trade pact.

On February 06, 2026, U.S. technology stocks and bitcoin staged a sharp rebound after three straight sessions of heavy selling. The Nasdaq Composite rose 2.2 percent, trimming its weekly decline to 1.8 percent, while bitcoin gained about 12 percent to trade above $70,000 as broader equity indices also advanced. Analysts indicated the move reflected a mix of bargain hunting and tentative sector rotation from high-priced AI names into cyclicals and value stocks.

On February 7, 2026 in Beijing, new figures showed the People's Bank of China increased its gold reserves for the 15th straight month, lifting holdings from 74.15 million to 74.19 million fine troy ounces. The value of these reserves climbed from about $319.5 billion to roughly $369.6 billion as bullion prices, which had briefly neared $5,600 per ounce in January before correcting to around $4,960, remained elevated despite softer overall gold demand in China.

On February 2, 2026, Wall Street entered a key trading week as major earnings reports from large technology companies coincided with elevated market volatility. Investors are also preparing for an upcoming U.S. jobs report that may influence expectations for interest rates and equity valuations. Analysts expect continued sharp price swings as corporate results and economic data are digested.

On February 2, 2026, the U.S. State Department authorised a potential $9 billion sale of Patriot missile systems to Saudi Arabia, following Defence Security Cooperation Agency approval on January 31. The package covers up to 300 Patriot MIM-104E GEM-T missiles plus associated equipment and training, with Raytheon as the main contractor, and still requires congressional review.