DeepSeek has resumed its second funding round, seeking close to $8 billion, with Monolith Management in talks to contribute, according to people familiar with the matter. https://t.co/kwcGR71MEa ...

Technology & Chip Sector - Semiconductor giants SanDisk and Western Digital reported revenue forecasts that missed analyst estimates, with SanDisk shares dropping 9% while remaining up 460% year-to-date and Western Digital up 200% year-to-date [2][3][72] - SK Hynix experienced its second major sell-off of the week, dropping 4%, amid concerns over market structure and liquidity [3][121] - DeepSeek plans a significant price increase across its AI services, marking an unusual shift from its low-cost model strategy [28] Market Volatility & Investment - SpaceX experienced massive volatility as 911 million shares valued at $101 billion became available for trading, with trading volume reaching the average daily volume of 115 million shares early in the session [11][50][124] - Situational Awareness completed a $400 million private investment to back a privately held company following concerns of margin calls and fund stress [1][28][29] - Alphabet tapped the bond market for $25 billion while maintaining expectations to support a $300 million capital expenditure for next year [9][152] Media & Consumer Industry - Warner Bros. Discovery reported an 11% year-over-year drop in revenue due to losing NBA rights and a weaker movie lineup, though streaming became profitable reaching a margin target of 17% and positioning for a potential $7 billion termination fee [15][19][169] - Krispy Kreme reported a 340 basis point margin improvement and 4.4% underlying revenue growth excluding exited distribution, expanding partnerships with Walmart and Target [78][79][80][86] - Smashburger accelerated its franchise expansion plans to become an asset-light model over the next 18 months, introducing a $4.99 value price point to offset rising beef costs [176][185]

Semiconductor and AI Industry Trends - SanDisk shares dropped nearly 9% premarket after issuing a disappointing revenue outlook, though the stock remains up nearly 500% year-to-date [10][14] - Western Digital and Samsung/SK Hynix led memory stock declines, dragging the Kospi down by almost 5% amid elevated expectations and subdued outlooks [3][11] - DeepSeek plans a significant price hike for its AI services, raising token costs from current low offerings of $0.14 and $0.28 [15][16] - AppLovin shares fell more than 15% due to an underwhelming margin outlook caused by a costly expansion into e-commerce advertising [11] Macroeconomic and Monetary Policy - Challenger Gray & Christmas reported job cuts down 46.1% year-over-year, coming in at a low monthly total of 33,429 [47] - The 2-year U.S. Treasury yield stood at 4.1956%, while the 30-year yield registered at 5.1722% [48] - Brent crude dropped below $80 per barrel following a potential temporary deal between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz [27][93] Corporate Developments and Market Valuation - SpaceX investors braced for unprecedented stock pressure as the first part of the lockup agreement expired, releasing 1.5 million new shares [84][88] - Situational Awareness completed a $400 million investment in a privately held company just days after narrowly avoiding financial collapse [36][75]

Market Trends and Strategy - DeepSeek plans to implement a significant price increase across its AI services [1] - The company makes an unusual shift from the Chinese tech sector [1] Industry Impact and Competition - The pricing strategy puts pressure on US competitors who face aggressive pricing [1]

Market Dynamics - Artificial intelligence industry player DeepSeek announces plans to significantly raise pricing for its API services soon, though specific pricing details remain unconfirmed [1]