Group 1 - German police conducted raids at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt and Berlin as part of a money laundering investigation [1] - Following the news of the probe, shares in Deutsche Bank fell approximately 2.7% [1] - Deutsche Bank confirmed the investigation and stated that it is fully cooperating with the prosecutor's office [1]

Core Viewpoint - Southwest Airlines has officially ended its open-seating policy, transitioning to assigned seating for all passengers, a move driven by the need to increase revenue and align with industry standards [2][8][9]. Group 1: Policy Change - The last flight with open seating took place on January 26, 2026, marking the end of a 54-year tradition [1][16]. - The new assigned seating policy allows passengers to know their seats before boarding, with some paying over $70 for premium seating options [2][8]. - This change was influenced by customer preferences, with 80% of Southwest customers favoring assigned seating [8]. Group 2: Customer Reactions - Reactions among passengers have been mixed; some appreciate the reduced stress of knowing their seating arrangements, while others feel Southwest is losing its unique identity [3][4]. - Long-time loyal customers express dissatisfaction, fearing increased costs and a loss of the airline's original charm [4][17]. Group 3: Financial Implications - The shift to assigned seating is expected to significantly boost Southwest's revenue, with forecasts indicating an addition of $4.3 billion in earnings before interest and taxes for the year, including $1 billion from seat assignments [12][13]. - The airline's stock has risen over 26% in the past year, reflecting investor optimism regarding the new policy and its potential financial benefits [11]. Group 4: Industry Context - Southwest's policy change comes amid pressure from investors to adopt practices that have proven profitable for competitors, who generated $12.4 billion in seating fees from 2018 to 2023 [9][10]. - The airline has also recently ended its "two bags fly free" policy, further aligning with industry norms and generating additional revenue through baggage fees [10].

Core Insights - Nvidia's strategic partnership with Siemens aims to develop industrial and physical AI solutions, enhancing AI-driven innovation in industrial workflows [1] - Strong earnings reports from ASML and SK Hynix have positively impacted chip stocks, with Nvidia's shares also experiencing a rise [2][4] - China has approved major domestic tech companies to purchase Nvidia's H200 chips, marking a significant development in Nvidia's market position in China [3] Group 1: Nvidia's Market Position - The approval for ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent to buy Nvidia's H200 system is crucial for Nvidia's operations in China, a key market [3] - Earlier this year, the U.S. authorized H200 sales, but China had been encouraging its companies to seek domestic alternatives [3] Group 2: Industry Performance - The VanEck Semiconductor ETF increased by over 3% in premarket trading, reflecting positive sentiment in the semiconductor sector [2] - ASML reported strong fourth-quarter earnings with orders exceeding analyst expectations, and its 2026 sales forecast was also above estimates [2] - SK Hynix shares rose more than 5% after announcing record full-year profits for 2025 [2]

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025.A renewed push to conclude a U.S.-India trade deal may get underway, analysts say, as the White House sees other countries and power blocs working harder than ever to remove barriers to trade and tariffs.The urgency and impetus to get talks over the line could come after the EU and India signed off on a long-awaited trade deal on Tuesday, with the agreement s ...

Group 1 - The company plans to cut approximately 16,000 corporate jobs, marking its second round of mass layoffs since October 2023, when 14,000 employees were let go [1][2] - The layoffs are part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy, coinciding with a significant investment in artificial intelligence [2] - The senior vice president of people experience and technology indicated that while more job cuts are not ruled out, the company does not intend to establish a pattern of frequent layoffs [2][3] Group 2 - Employees in Amazon's cloud unit received an email acknowledging "organizational changes," which referenced the ongoing adjustments within the company [3]

Group 1 - SK Hynix announced the establishment of a new U.S.-based company focused on artificial intelligence solutions, committing at least $10 billion to capitalize on AI growth opportunities [1] - The new entity, tentatively named "AI Company or AI Co.," will act as a hub for SK Group's AI strategies and aim to accelerate technology in global markets [1] - SK Hynix has become a significant player in the AI sector due to its leadership in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are essential for AI chipsets like those from Nvidia [2] Group 2 - The U.S. expansion of SK Hynix is in response to increasing investments in AI by other tech giants, leading to heightened demand for memory chips [2] - The new "AI Company" will be created by restructuring Solidigm, a California-based subsidiary focused on enterprise solid-state drives (SSDs) established in 2021 [2] - Operations of Solidigm will be transferred to a new entity named Solidigm Inc., with planned investments in AI Co. to be deployed on a capital-call basis, including strategic investments in American AI firms to enhance synergies across SK Group affiliates [3]

Core Viewpoint - LVMH reported mixed full-year earnings, leading to a significant drop in its share price by over 7% in morning trading [1][2] Financial Performance - Organic revenue growth was 1% in Q4, unchanged from the same period last year [1] - Full-year revenue declined by 1% [1] Market Reaction - Shares of LVMH were last seen down 7.7% [2] - Analysts noted that investors had anticipated stronger results, especially in light of positive performances from competitors like Richemont, Burberry, and Cucinelli [2]

Core Insights - SK Hynix reported record quarterly revenue and profit, driven by rising memory prices and strong demand from generative AI chipsets [1][2] - The company is competing with Samsung for the title of the world's top memory producer [1] Financial Performance - Revenue increased by approximately 66% in the December quarter compared to the same period last year, reaching 32.827 trillion won ($23 billion) [2][6] - Operating profit surged by 137% during the same period, amounting to 19.17 trillion won [2][6] Market Dynamics - The company has capitalized on the AI boom as a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, essential for AI data center servers [3] - HBM revenue more than doubled year-on-year, significantly contributing to the company's record performance [4] - Demand for HBM has outstripped supply, leading to shortages in less advanced memory chips used in consumer electronics and electric vehicles [4] Price Trends - Memory prices have been increasing due to supply shortages, which are expected to persist into the next year as SK Hynix and other manufacturers await capacity expansions [5]

Core Insights - Chinese humanoid robots, particularly from LimX Dynamics, are preparing to enter the U.S. market ahead of competitors like Elon Musk's Optimus [2][3] - LimX Dynamics has ambitious plans for global expansion, starting with the Middle East, and aims to establish local partnerships [3][5] - The humanoid robot market in China is projected to see significant growth, with Morgan Stanley doubling its sales forecast for 2025 [7] Company Developments - LimX Dynamics has raised $69.31 million as of July 2025, with notable investors including Alibaba, JD.com, and Lenovo [4] - The company has launched its humanoid robot, Oli, with a base model priced at approximately $22,660 [10] - LimX aims to enhance its technology, focusing on advanced AI capabilities to improve robot functionality [12] Market Trends - In 2022, around 13,000 humanoid robots were shipped globally, with Chinese companies leading the market [6] - Morgan Stanley's revised forecast predicts 28,000 humanoid robot sales in China for 2025, with expectations for business sales to drive growth [7] - By 2050, the Chinese humanoid market could potentially reach annual sales of 54 million units [7] Competitive Landscape - LimX Dynamics faces competition from other Chinese companies like Unitree and U.S. rival Figure AI, as the market for humanoid robots becomes increasingly competitive [5][6] - Tesla's Optimus robot is not expected to be available for public sale until late 2027, giving LimX a potential advantage in the interim [8]

Group 1 - ASML reported record orders of 13.2 billion euros ($15.8 billion) in Q4 2025, significantly exceeding analyst expectations of 6.32 billion euros [1] - The company expects net sales for the current quarter to be between 8.2 billion and 8.9 billion euros, and total sales for 2026 to range from 34 billion to 39 billion euros, with the midpoint above analyst expectations of 35.1 billion euros [2] - ASML's shares have increased nearly 30% this year, driven by demand from the AI infrastructure boom [3] Group 2 - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) reported a record profit in Q4, indicating strong demand for AI chips and infrastructure, which benefits ASML as a supplier [4] - There is a shortage of memory semiconductors leading to price increases, with expectations that major memory makers like Samsung and SK Hynix will increase chipmaking capacity, resulting in higher purchases of ASML machines [5] - Barclays anticipates that SK Hynix will acquire 12 of ASML's extreme ultraviolet lithography machines in 2026 [6] Group 3 - ASML's net sales for the latest quarter were 9.7 billion euros ($11.6 billion), slightly above the expected 9.6 billion euros, while net profit was 2.84 billion euros, below the expected 3.01 billion euros [8]