Today: 8 February 2026
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Shan Ahmed Khan

As a journalist focused on finance and the stock market, he delivers fast, reliable, and easy-to-understand coverage of market news.

Lithium price slips again in China as futures churn, February buying in focus

Lithium price slips again in China as futures churn, February buying in focus

China’s battery-grade lithium carbonate price fell 2.33% to 168,000 yuan ($21,340) per ton Thursday, according to SMM. The most-traded futures contract fluctuated between 158,800 and 173,900 yuan, with open interest down by 8,638 lots. Upstream, the SMM spodumene concentrate index slipped 1% to $2,168 a ton CIF China. Traders are watching January PMI data and February production plans ahead of the Lunar New Year.
29 January 2026
Nordea Bank stock slips after Q4 profit rise; dividend lifted and buybacks stay in focus

Nordea Bank stock slips after Q4 profit rise; dividend lifted and buybacks stay in focus

Nordea shares fell 1.3% to 16.53 euros after Q4 results showed net interest income down 5% despite a 3% rise in operating profit to 1.513 billion euros. The bank proposed a 0.96 euro dividend for 2025 and may pay a mid-2026 dividend. Buybacks continued, with 395,298 shares repurchased on Jan. 28. Investors focused on interest income as rate cuts pressure margins.
29 January 2026
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Heating Oil Price Ticks Up as Iran Risk Lifts Crude; Traders Weigh U.S. Distillate Stocks

Heating Oil Price Ticks Up as Iran Risk Lifts Crude; Traders Weigh U.S. Distillate Stocks

Heating oil futures rose about 0.4% to $2.4566 a gallon Thursday, tracking a surge in crude prices as Middle East tensions escalated. U.S. distillate stocks increased by 329,000 barrels last week, while crude inventories fell by 2.3 million barrels, according to the EIA. Brent crude climbed 2% to near $69.79 a barrel. Traders remain focused on geopolitical risks and upcoming U.S. inventory data.
29 January 2026
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Wizz Air share price jumps on Q3 results as engine groundings ease — what to watch next

Wizz Air share price jumps on Q3 results as engine groundings ease — what to watch next

Wizz Air shares jumped about 10% in London after the airline reported a third-quarter operating loss of €123.9 million, matching estimates, and said fewer planes are grounded due to engine inspections. CEO Jozsef Varadi expects grounded aircraft to drop further by summer 2026, with all back in service by end-2027. Revenue rose 10.2% to €1.3 billion, while passenger numbers increased 12.5% to 17.5 million.
29 January 2026
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Brent oil price jumps above $70 as Iran strike fears flare; traders eye OPEC+ and U.S. stocks

Brent oil price jumps above $70 as Iran strike fears flare; traders eye OPEC+ and U.S. stocks

Brent crude futures surged above $70 a barrel for the first time in four months on Thursday, driven by Middle East tensions and supply disruptions in Kazakhstan and the U.S. Brent touched $70.35 before easing to $69.79 by 1011 GMT. Traders cited fears of a U.S. strike on Iran and possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz. OPEC+ meets Feb. 1, with U.S. inventory data due Feb. 4.
29 January 2026
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Brent oil price breaks $70 as Iran tensions lift crude — what traders watch next

Brent oil price breaks $70 as Iran tensions lift crude — what traders watch next

Brent crude futures surged over 2% Thursday, briefly topping $70 a barrel for the first time in four months, as traders weighed the risk of a U.S. strike on Iran and possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. crude inventories fell by 2.3 million barrels last week, while winter storms cut U.S. output by up to 2 million barrels per day. OPEC+ is expected to keep output steady at its February 1 meeting.
29 January 2026
US gasoline price today: futures climb as winter storm squeezes supply, drivers eye next EIA data

US gasoline price today: futures climb as winter storm squeezes supply, drivers eye next EIA data

NYMEX RBOB gasoline futures rose 1.06% to $1.9243 a gallon early Thursday, after a winter storm disrupted U.S. refinery operations. AAA reported the national average pump price at $2.87 a gallon, nearly unchanged from Wednesday. Gasoline inventories increased slightly, while refinery utilization slipped to 90.9%, according to EIA data. Brent crude closed Wednesday at $67.85 a barrel.
29 January 2026
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Oil prices jump again as Brent breaks $70 on Iran strike fears

Oil prices jump again as Brent breaks $70 on Iran strike fears

Brent crude topped $70 Thursday as fears of a potential U.S. strike on Iran and a U.S. winter storm disrupting output fueled a price surge. U.S. crude stocks fell by 2.3 million barrels last week, pushing inventories 3% below the five-year average. A U.S. carrier group moved closer to Iran, raising geopolitical risk. Both Brent and WTI are on track for their biggest monthly gains since July 2023.
29 January 2026
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XRP price dips today despite Ripple Treasury rollout and fresh U.S. court ruling

XRP price dips today despite Ripple Treasury rollout and fresh U.S. court ruling

XRP fell 3.1% to $1.86 early Thursday after Ripple launched its “Ripple Treasury” platform and won a key Ninth Circuit ruling blocking federal claims in an XRP class action. Bitcoin and ether also declined. The Federal Reserve left rates unchanged Wednesday. The White House will meet bank and crypto leaders Feb. 2 to discuss the stalled “Clarity Act” and stablecoin rewards.
29 January 2026
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Bitcoin price slips below $88,000 as Fed pause and ETF outflows keep crypto pinned

Bitcoin price slips below $88,000 as Fed pause and ETF outflows keep crypto pinned

Bitcoin fell 1.8% to $87,686 in early New York trading Thursday after the Federal Reserve held rates steady and signaled no imminent cuts. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw $19.6 million in net outflows on Jan. 28, with BlackRock’s IBIT losing $14.2 million and Fidelity’s FBTC gaining $19.5 million. Ether dropped 3% to $2,924. Gold surged 4% Wednesday, nearing $5,400 an ounce.
29 January 2026
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Gold price today: $5,600 record streak keeps traders watching Iran, Fed chair pick

Gold price today: $5,600 record streak keeps traders watching Iran, Fed chair pick

Spot gold hit a record $5,594.82 an ounce early Thursday before easing to $5,516.71, up 2.2%. U.S.-Iran tensions and a weaker dollar fueled safe-haven demand. The Fed left rates unchanged Wednesday, with Chair Powell signaling patience. U.S. February gold futures peaked at $5,626.80, while SPDR Gold Trust holdings reached their highest since May 2022.
29 January 2026
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US stock market today: S&P 500 futures rise as Meta surges, Microsoft drops ahead of Apple earnings

US stock market today: S&P 500 futures rise as Meta surges, Microsoft drops ahead of Apple earnings

S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures rose early Thursday as Meta jumped 7.9% and Tesla gained 2.9% after earnings, while Microsoft fell 6.4%. Rare-earth miners dropped on reports the Trump administration may pull back mineral price supports. The S&P 500 closed Wednesday at 6,978.03 after briefly topping 7,000, while the Fed held rates steady and gave little guidance on cuts.
29 January 2026
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FTSE 100 rises as miners lift London stocks; 3i soars, Lloyds upgrades targets

FTSE 100 rises as miners lift London stocks; 3i soars, Lloyds upgrades targets

London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.44% to 10,198.75 by 1105 GMT, led by mining and financial stocks. Gold surged near $5,600 an ounce, hitting new highs as investors sought safe havens amid geopolitical tensions and a weaker dollar. 3i Group jumped 14% after strong results from Action, while Lloyds gained 0.5% on a profit beat and new share buyback. Sterling hovered near multi-year highs against the dollar.
29 January 2026
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Australia stock market today: ASX 200 slips as rare earths tumble, RBA rate call looms

Australia stock market today: ASX 200 slips as rare earths tumble, RBA rate call looms

The S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.07% at 8,927.5 after higher-than-expected inflation data pushed traders to adjust rate hike bets ahead of the RBA’s meeting next week. Tech and rare earth stocks fell, with Iluka dropping nearly 14% after flagging A$565 million in charges. Miners and energy shares gained on strong commodity prices. The Australian dollar hit a three-year high before easing.
29 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Suzhou TFC Optical (300394.SZ) stock: 3 signals to watch before China’s short, pre-holiday week

Suzhou TFC Optical (300394.SZ) stock: 3 signals to watch before China’s short, pre-holiday week

8 February 2026
Suzhou TFC Optical closed up 0.4% at 252.97 yuan Friday after heavy trading and sharp swings, ranking as the No. 2 most-traded Shenzhen stock via Stock Connect. Margin financing and securities lending fell, with net margin selling of 419 million yuan. Shanghai and Shenzhen markets will close Feb. 16–23 for the Spring Festival. The company expects 2025 net profit to rise 40–60% year-on-year.
GigaDevice Semiconductor stock price: What to watch for 603986 A-shares as memory crunch bites

GigaDevice Semiconductor stock price: What to watch for 603986 A-shares as memory crunch bites

8 February 2026
GigaDevice Semiconductor’s Class A shares closed at 276.17 yuan in Shanghai, down 0.6% Friday. The company faces a Feb. 11 shareholder vote on related-party transaction limits and an overseas auditor. Investors are watching for fallout from the global memory-chip shortage, which has pushed prices higher across the supply chain. GigaDevice’s shares have nearly doubled over the past year.
Astera Labs (ALAB) stock closes near $170 after 19% jump as earnings week looms

Astera Labs (ALAB) stock closes near $170 after 19% jump as earnings week looms

8 February 2026
Astera Labs shares jumped 18.9% to $169.85 Friday, trading as high as $170.01 on volume of 7.3 million. The move followed Amazon’s AI spending forecast and a nearly 6% gain in the PHLX Semiconductor Index. Astera reports fourth-quarter results Tuesday after market close, with revenue guidance at $245–$253 million.
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