Markets & Money Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!

Jared Kushners Affinity Partners withdraws financial backing from Paramounts Warner Brothers Discovery bid, citing changed investment dynamics. Paramounts offer still supported by Persian Gulf wealth funds, despite Trumps criticism of Ellison familys treatment by CBS News.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Optimism soars as Bank of Americas fund managers survey reveals a three-and-a-half-year high in bullishness, driven by expectations of a soft landing for the US economy and stable macroeconomic conditions. Cash levels hit record lows, indicating high investor participation and confidence. A majority anticipate a gradual economic cool-down, with global growth expectations at their most optimistic since August 2021. Corporate profit expectations also surge, but concerns linger over potential AI bubble bursts, private credit crashes, and overcrowded tech stocks.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robinhood is making waves in the prediction market space, introducing parlay-style bets on NFL games and real-time wagers on player performances. These enhancements, unveiled at their YES/NO keynote, aim to make Robinhood a leader in prediction markets. With prediction markets already generating significant revenue, Robinhoods expansion into this area is seen as a key growth opportunity, potentially positioning them as the new Schwab for Gen Z.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final three-coin sets of the U.S. penny, featuring a gold coin with the Greek letter Omega, sold for nearly seventeen million dollars at auction. This record-breaking sale marked the end of the pennys production, following President Trumps order in November. The auction, structured into 232 lots, saw immense public interest, with the final lot fetching eight hundred thousand dollars.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HashKey Holdings, a Hong Kong-based crypto exchange, made a strong debut on the market, with shares climbing by 6.6% on their first day of trading. The company, which offers services like asset management, brokerage, and tokenization, raised $206 million in an initial public offering. The high demand for HashKeys shares, with the institutional investor portion oversubscribed by 5.5 times and the retail tranche nearly 394 times oversubscribed, reflects growing investor confidence in the regulated cryptocurrency sector in Asia.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MetaX Integrated Circuits, founded by former AMD executive Chen Weiliang, saw its shares skyrocket by nearly six hundred percent on its Shanghai stock market debut, raising six hundred million dollars. This impressive debut follows Moore Threads strong listing, highlighting Chinas push to accelerate domestic AI chip listings. Analysts at Guotai Haitong Securities emphasize the potential of the AI chipmaking industry in China, projecting sales to reach over one hundred eighty-nine billion dollars by 2029, as the nation strives for self-sufficiency in this vital area.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MetaX Integrated Circuits Shanghais IPO soars, with shares skyrocketing by over 560% on debut, reflecting investor confidence in the companys AI-focused GPU technology and the growing demand for AI hardware in the Chinese market.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grain markets experienced another day of declines, with wheat futures continuing their downward trend. Chicago soft red winter wheat contracts fell between nine and eleven and a quarter cents, while Kansas City hard red winter wheat and Minneapolis spring wheat also finished in the red. This pressure is largely due to large global supplies from major exporting countries. Looking ahead, a mixed weather forecast for the coming week could influence future market movements. The French farm ministry estimates an increase in soft wheat acreage for 2026, while EU soft wheat shipments are slightly behind last years pace. Specifically, March and May Chicago Board of Trade wheat contracts closed lower, as did Kansas City and Minneapolis Grain Exchange wheat contracts, reflecting continued bearish sentiment in the wheat market.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lean Hog Futures Rebound: A Mixed Market OutlookThis week, lean hog futures experienced a positive shift, recovering from earlier weakness with price increases ranging from seventy-five cents to one dollar. However, the national base hog price dropped by three dollars and twelve cents, settling at sixty-nine dollars and fifty-six cents. The CME Lean Hog Index showed a slight increase of nineteen cents, reaching eighty-two dollars and ninety-nine cents. The USDAs pork carcass cutout value dipped by thirty-three cents, with only ribs and ham sections reporting higher prices. Hog slaughter for the week was eight thousand head fewer than the previous week and over one thousand one hundred seventy-five head less than the same week last year. Futures contracts for February, April, and May of twenty twenty-six all closed higher, offering optimism for the hog industry moving forward.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corn futures experienced a minor dip on Tuesday, with most contracts falling by two to three and a quarter cents, reflecting a generally softer market. Wheat prices and crude oil also contributed to the markets weakness. The Energy Information Administrations upcoming report on Wednesday could provide insights into demand for corn, as ethanol production figures are expected to remain steady or decrease slightly. The March, May, and July twenty-six corn contracts all closed lower, indicating a cautious sentiment in the market.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite recent disruptions in Venezuela, the global oil market remains well-supplied. Venezuelas oil production has plummeted to a seven-month low due to U.S. sanctions and a tanker seizure, but the market can absorb this loss. Even in a worst-case scenario, Venezuela could lose up to five hundred thousand barrels per day. However, with improved management and investment, Venezuela could potentially return to production levels of around two million barrels per day within one to two years.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cotton futures experienced a significant drop this Tuesday, with prices falling between seventy-two and eighty-four points. This decline was influenced by the synthetic market, as crude oil futures also dropped. The U.S. dollar index slightly increased, and an online auction reported sales of over fifteen thousand bales of cotton at an average price of fifty-nine point five seven cents per pound. The Cotlook A Index decreased by ten points, and certified cotton stocks held by the Intercontinental Exchange were down by nearly one thousand five hundred bales. The Adjusted World Price for cotton also showed a decrease of eighty-nine points, and various cotton contracts closed at lower prices across different delivery months.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soybean prices plummeted this week, erasing recent gains from Chinese buying, while related markets like soymeal and soy oil also saw declines. The Environmental Protection Agencys delay in announcing renewable volume obligations for 2026 added to market uncertainty. Meanwhile, Chinas state stockpiler made significant soybean sales, indicating active reserve management. European Union soybean imports since July have slightly lagged behind last years pace.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shells Kaikias project in the Gulf of Mexico approved, aiming to extend Ursa platforms life by injecting water into the reservoir, adding 60 million barrels of oil equivalent to recoverable resources.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cattle markets see mixed trends: live cattle futures rise slightly, feeder cattle futures surge; USDA reports mixed boxed beef prices; slaughter activity decreases.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HashKey, Hong Kongs largest licensed crypto exchange, made a strong debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange, raising $206 million in its IPO. Despite recent challenges in the broader cryptocurrency market, HashKeys shares climbed 3% on its first day of trading. The company, which priced its shares at $6.68 each, attracted investments from major firms like Fidelity, UBS, and CDH Investments. HashKey aims to make digital assets widely available and create a regulated platform for users to connect with the digital asset industry.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Waymo, Alphabets self-driving car subsidiary, aims to raise $15 billion in new funding, targeting a $110 billion valuation. This move signifies confidence in Waymos future and its dominant position in the U.S. robotaxi market. With operations in 26 markets across the U.S. and internationally, Waymo has surpassed 450,000 weekly paid rides and completed 14 million trips in 2025. The company plans to expand to new cities in the U.S. and launch in London in 2026.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former President Donald Trumps public criticism of CBS and Sixty Minutes may have jeopardized Paramounts bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, as Affinity, a key financial backer, withdrew due to increased competition and regulatory concerns. This turn of events underscores the complex interplay of politics and business in high-stakes corporate acquisitions.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five BlackRock employees, including David Woodhead, Kirsty Craig, Infant Vasanth, Michael Duncan, and Charlie Johnston, have been inducted into the companys elite Tech Fellows program. This group of senior technologists, totaling twenty-four, plays a pivotal role in BlackRocks operations and vision, especially with the firm managing $13.5 trillion in assets. The new fellows, after a rigorous selection process, will contribute to BlackRocks engineering culture and help achieve the companys ambitious goals for 2030, aiming for $35 billion in annual revenue. Their expertise spans various areas, including Aladdins data, AI strategy, internal research, trading tools, and code quality.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Affinity Partners, founded by Jared Kushner, withdraws from Paramount Skydances $18.4 billion bid for Warner Brothers Discovery, citing changed investment dynamics. The move follows criticism over Kushners Trump ties and foreign money concerns. Meanwhile, Netflix buys Warner Brothers Discoverys film studio and HBO Max for $82.7 billion, with the deal set to close after a spin-off of Discovery Globals cable networks. Paramount Skydances offer expires on January 8, 2026, unless extended.The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.