On February 2, 2026, Wall Street entered a key trading week as major earnings reports from large technology companies coincided with elevated market volatility. Investors are also preparing for an upcoming U.S. jobs report that may influence expectations for interest rates and equity valuations. Analysts expect continued sharp price swings as corporate results and economic data are digested.

On February 2, 2026, the U.S. State Department authorised a potential $9 billion sale of Patriot missile systems to Saudi Arabia, following Defence Security Cooperation Agency approval on January 31. The package covers up to 300 Patriot MIM-104E GEM-T missiles plus associated equipment and training, with Raytheon as the main contractor, and still requires congressional review.

On January 26, 2026, the Canadian dollar notched its largest weekly advance since May, up 1.5% versus the U.S. dollar. The loonie traded at 1.3715 per dollar on Friday, gaining 0.5% on the day and touching its strongest level since early January. Oil and bond moves, plus retail data, provided additional context.

On January 25, 2026, Fitch Ratings shifted Türkiye's sovereign credit outlook from "stable" to "positive" while maintaining its long-term foreign currency issuer default rating at BB. The change is linked to tighter monetary policy, an orthodox economic framework, and early signs of macroeconomic rebalancing under the current policy team.

On January 25, 2026, JPMorgan Chase acquired UK pensions technology provider WealthOS, according to an internal memo. The platform, founded in 2019, will be integrated into the bank's Personal Investing division to modernize its pensions infrastructure, with staff in the UK and Sri Lanka expected to join. Financial terms were not disclosed.

On January 19, 2026, Fitch Ratings affirmed the long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating of Saudi Arabia at A+ and maintained a Stable Outlook. The agency cited net foreign assets near 70% of GDP, general government debt projected below 30% versus a 54% A+ peer median, and a 2.3% of GDP fiscal deficit in 2025 amid ongoing reforms.

On January 18, 2026, data indicated that China's primary aluminum output in January–November 2025 reached about 41.17 million tonnes, up roughly 2.5% year on year, with November alone at 3.79 million tonnes. In contrast, crude steel production for 2025 is estimated at around 968 million tonnes, slipping below 1 billion tonnes and declining about 4% from 2024 amid capacity controls and weaker demand.

On January 15, 2026, London Stock Exchange Group introduced a Digital Settlement House, according to Bloomberg. The platform aims for instant settlement across independent payment networks while interoperating with traditional systems. Built on LSEG’s Digital Markets Infrastructure with Microsoft Azure, it targets the trade‑to‑settlement lag that typically spans one to three days.

On January 15, 2026, crude prices pulled back after President Donald Trump signaled no immediate U.S. military action against Iran. Benchmarks surrendered a recent rally, with Brent and WTI down about 2–3% in after-hours trade. The move reflected a swift fade in geopolitical risk premiums amid Middle East unrest.