A clearer view of today.

The labor market began 2026 on firmer ground, with 130,000 jobs added in January and the jobless rate edging down to 4.3%. Benchmark revisions showed 2025 hiring was weaker than initially reported, reinforcing expectations that the Fed can stay patient on rates while watching wage growth (up 0.4% m/m) and sector breadth. Health care led gains, while manufacturing posted its first monthly increase in over a year. Markets pushed out the likely timing of a rate cut to midyear as the data sketched a picture of stabilization rather than reacceleration.

Source: Crain’s New York Business

In a notable trade-policy shift, the House voted to end tariffs on Canada, with six Republicans breaking ranks—a move that could ease cross‑border cost pressures for manufacturers and retailers. The vote undercuts an aggressive tariff posture and may reduce supply-chain friction across autos, machinery, and agriculture. The Senate and White House stance will determine timing, but North American producers welcomed the signal.

Source: Seeking Alpha

CME Group is exploring a rare earth futures contract, according to Reuters, creating a new tool to hedge price risk in strategically vital inputs for EVs, wind turbines and electronics. A listed benchmark could bring transparency to an opaque market dominated by China and offer manufacturers and investors tighter risk management amid intensifying supply‑chain realignment. The move would expand CME’s footprint in energy transition metals alongside copper and lithium.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Lithium producer Albemarle missed quarterly expectations and will idle an Australian facility to curb costs, underscoring industry strain from falling battery‑grade prices. The pullback—along with Indonesia-driven nickel cuts and broader supply adjustments—highlights a reset phase in battery materials after a multi‑year buildout. Investors are refocusing on balance‑sheet discipline, capex pacing, and contract flexibility across the EV supply chain.

Source: Seeking Alpha

BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) is now tradable through UniswapX, allowing qualified participants to transact tokenized T‑bill exposure using decentralized exchange infrastructure. The step tightens the bridge between TradFi and DeFi by pairing regulated custody/tokenization (via Securitize) with on‑chain routing and settlement. It also positions tokenized money funds as on‑chain cash alternatives that could compete with stablecoins for collateral and liquidity.

Source: FinanceFeeds

Franklin Templeton and Binance launched an institutional program allowing tokenized money market fund shares to serve as trading collateral while remaining in third‑party custody. The structure preserves yield on reserves and reduces exchange counterparty exposure, improving capital efficiency for professional traders. It’s a notable blueprint for integrating tokenized RWAs into 24/7 digital markets under institutional risk standards.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Hong Kong’s SFC will permit licensed platforms to offer crypto perpetual contracts to professional investors and allow intermediaries to accept bitcoin and ether as collateral, subject to controls. The framework prioritizes liquidity, risk management and market‑making guardrails, bolstering the city’s ambitions as a regulated digital‑asset hub. It could widen institutional participation in Asia while keeping retail exposure tightly ring‑fenced.

Source: FinanceFeeds

• Applied Materials to pay $252.5M to settle U.S. export‑violations probe
• Cisco projects $5B+ in FY26 AI orders amid accelerated demand
• Tether to expand U.S. T‑bill purchases in 2026 to reinforce reserves
• Webull launches consolidated overnight data feed for U.S. equities
• Fastly’s outlook tops estimates as edge AI momentum builds