Hala,
🎶✨ The 2025 Grammy Awards lit up LA! Beyoncé snagged Album of the Year, Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us dominated, and Chappell Roan claimed Best New Artist.(1) So many trophies, not enough shelf space! 🏆😂 #Grammys2025
amana’s Take
- U.S. trade tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China sent shockwaves through the crypto market, triggering a brutal sell-off. With over $2.2 billion in liquidations, this was the worst single-day wipeout on record — beating even previous market crashes.
- Bitcoin plunged to $91,000 before clawing back some losses, while Ethereum tanked 20% to $2,500. Altcoins didn’t stand a chance — many nosedived between 15% and 30% in a single trading session.
- The sell-off wasn’t just panic — it was high leverage gone wrong. Overstretched traders got margin-called into oblivion, fueling a cascading wave of forced liquidations. Now, all eyes are on whether this is just a brutal shakeout or the start of something far worse.
Stock Market Update
🚨📉 Wall Street tumbled on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% import taxes on Canada & Mexico (plus 10% on China) loomed, just as Apple, Chevron, and Exxon wrapped up a rough earnings week. The Dow tumbled 0.75% to 44,544.66, the S&P 500 slipped 0.50% to 6,040.53, and the Nasdaq 100 eased 0.14% to 21,478.05.(2) Global trade just got a new plot twist. 📃😵💫
💰📈 Meanwhile, UAE markets climbed: Dubai jumped 0.5% to 4,255 on a 10.4% Mashreq Bank surge, while Abu Dhabi added 0.03% to 9,652, lifted by Adnoc Drilling and and ADCB.(3) 🚀💸
🔥💰 Gold on Fire!
Gold prices blazed past $2,800 for the first time ever, fueled by tariff tensions hotter than a July barbecue.(4) With President Trump slapping a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports, investors rushed to the safe-haven metal, igniting a rally that sent spot gold soaring to a record $2,817.23. Inflation concerns added more fuel to the fire, keeping traders glued to the charts as the yellow metal flexed its dominance. 📈🔥
📊💎 Metal Mania — Highlights from the Rally:
- Gold’s Grand Entrance: Spot gold hit an all-time high of $2,817.23 before settling at $2,801.29.
- Futures on Fire: U.S. gold futures danced around $2,835, maintaining a premium over spot prices.
- SilverSparkle: Silver reached a one-month high before dipping 0.8% to $31.42.
- Platinum’s Power Move: Firmed up 1% to $975.80.
- Palladium Punch: Jumped 2.2% to $1,011, making a run for the spotlight. 🎭✨
🏦📢 Fed vs. Trump: The Showdown Continues
As gold blazed through records, the market stayed on edge over mixed signals from Washington. Trump wants interest rates slashed, but the Fed is keeping a steady hand on the wheel, hinting at no rush for cuts. Meanwhile, rising U.S. prices and a surge in consumer spending suggest inflation isn’t backing down anytime soon. With tariffs set to kick in this weekend, investors are buckling up — because this ride might just be getting started. 💥📊
Closer to Home
- 🤝 Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and the Iraqi Securities Commission just sealed an MoU deal, which means stronger ties, smoother trades, and bigger investment opportunities for both markets.(5) Buckle up! 🤑
- 📊 After a rough patch, MENA’s M&A scene is set for a 2025 comeback! Morgan Stanley forecasts a significant ‘ structural upswing’ ahead, with policy shifts and regulatory reforms paving the way — who’s ready to make moves?(6) 💸
- 🏗️ Saudi’s Umm Al Qura is rolling out an IPO — 130.8M shares (9.09% of post-increase capital) on the Saudi Exchange — to fuel the development of a $26B Mecca project, MASAR Destination.(7) #NewIPO! 💰
What Else Is Trending
- 🚀 U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs are off to a roaring start! January alone saw $5B in inflows, and according to Bitwise, if this pace holds, in 2025, $50B+ in inflows could be seen.(8) The bulls are charging! 💥
- 🔨 U.S. President Trump’s tariff hammer is swinging! Canada and Mexico face 25% tariffs on imports and 10% duty on China, but Canadian energy gets a lighter 10% hit — because nobody likes pricey gas.(9) 😏
- 🔥 Meanwhile, the Fed’s go-to inflation gauge — the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, hit 2.6% in December, up from November’s 2.4%, driven by rising energy and food costs.(10) Inflation’s still got a healthy appetite! 🍽️
💬Quote of the Day
“There’s a lot of uncertainty out there right now and also wait-and-see attitude on the geopolitical stage with tariffs.” — Bob Haberkorn, senior market strategist at RJO Future
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Sources:(1) BBC, (2) (4) Reuters, (3) (5) (6) (7) Zawya, (8) Cointelegraph, (9) CNBC, (10) CNN
