Trump Imposes 25% Tariff on Iran Trade Partners; Google Hits $4 Trillion Valuation; Zhaoyi Innovation IPO.

Trump Imposes 25% Tariff on Countries Doing Business with Iran

President Trump announced a new 25% tariff on goods from countries that engage in business with Iran, aimed at increasing pressure on the Iranian government. The tariff will take effect immediately, although specific details regarding its scope have not been released.

Concerns Over Supreme Court Rulings

Trump Warns of Financial Consequences

Trump expressed heightened concern over potential unfavorable tariff rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court, stating that such decisions could lead to compensation costs in the hundreds of billions of dollars. He emphasized that the financial burden would be unsustainable for the country.

Investigation into Powell Sparks Internal Conflict

Reports indicate that FHFA Director Mark Calabria is a key figure behind the investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The White House has denied that Trump directed the investigation, although he retains the right to criticize Powell.

Trump to Interview Fed Chair Candidates

Trump is set to interview Rick Rieder, BlackRock's Chief Investment Officer, this week as a potential successor to Powell. This will be the final interview in the selection process, with a decision expected in January.

New Legislation to Ban Stock Trading by Congress Members

House Republicans are pushing for a bill to prohibit members of Congress and their immediate families from trading individual stocks, marking a significant legislative move against insider trading.

International Diplomatic Meetings

Danish and Greenlandic officials are scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio in Washington, D.C., as part of ongoing diplomatic discussions.

CME Adjusts Precious Metals Margin Requirements

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange announced changes to margin requirements for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium contracts, effective January 13. This adjustment comes as gold and silver prices hit new highs.

Q4 Earnings Season Begins

Goldman Sachs predicts that the S&P 500's earnings expectations for Q4 may be too conservative, with bank earnings this week serving as a key market indicator.

Global Space Industry Competition Intensifies

In response to SpaceX's dominance, countries like Europe, Canada, and Japan are accelerating their commercial space initiatives, with significant funding commitments announced.

U.S. Stock Market Update

The major U.S. indices saw slight gains, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones reaching new historical highs. Notable tech stocks like Google and Tesla also experienced increases.

Apple and Google Collaborate on AI

Apple announced a partnership with Google to enhance Siri's capabilities, leveraging Google's Gemini model, which contributed to a rise in Google's stock price.

Meta's AI Infrastructure Plans

Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed plans for a new project, "Meta Compute," aimed at building substantial AI infrastructure by 2030.

NVIDIA and Eli Lilly Invest in AI Drug Development

NVIDIA and Eli Lilly are jointly investing $1 billion to establish a lab focused on accelerating drug development through AI.

Paramount Sues Warner Bros Discovery

Paramount has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros Discovery, seeking disclosure of key details regarding ongoing negotiations with Netflix.

Hong Kong Stock Market Activity

On January 12, net purchases of Hong Kong stocks reached HKD 7.306 billion, with significant investments in Kuaishou and Tencent.

Zhaoyi Innovation's IPO Success

Zhaoyi Innovation's IPO in Hong Kong saw a subscription rate of 542.22 times, with a final offer price set at HKD 162.

WuXi AppTec's Profit Forecast

WuXi AppTec anticipates a 103% year-on-year increase in net profit for 2025, driven by investment gains from divesting certain business segments.

Rongchang Bio Signs Licensing Agreement

Rongchang Bio has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with AbbVie, potentially earning up to $4.95 billion in milestone payments.

Strong Brain Technology Files for IPO

Strong Brain Technology, a brain-computer interface company, has submitted a confidential IPO application in Hong Kong.

Key Economic Data to Watch

Investors should pay attention to the U.S. December CPI data as it may impact market sentiment.