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Media, News, Newspapers, Publishing, Broadcasting, Advertising, Brands, Marketing: Australia and World

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Past, Present And Future

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News

How to make AFR your preferred news source on Google

Google has launched a preferred news source feature, allowing you to view articles from The Australian Financial Review more prominently in your search results.

By selecting the Financial Review, you send Google a clear signal that this is a publisher you trust and want at the top of your results for major topics and breaking news.

Make the AFR a preferred source by clicking this link.

https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=afr.com

News

March 14, 2026

The Australian Newspaper: Michael Miller Writes ...

For the first time in 14 years, we are removing the paywall at The Australian.
This is an invitation to experience the professional craft, rigorous reporting and incisive analysis that defines our national masthead. Our teams are currently delivering some of the most vital reporting in the country: from Liam Mendes' reporting on ISIS brides and Penny Timms' ‘Cosmetic Cowboys’ investigation, to Yoni Bashan's essential coverage of antisemitism. You will also find Louise Bryant's moving work on the dementia crisis and John Stensholt's exclusive previews of the Richest 250. You also get added depth from our partners at The Wall Street Journal and The Times. Whether your interest lies in social issues, global news, or business leadership, I invite you to explore it all for free this weekend. www.theaustralian.com.au

(Credit: Michael Miller, The Australian)

News

Media/Advertising (Australia)

Advertising expectations and experience: Australians have their say

New national research conducted by Roy Morgan for Australia's advertising regulator Ad Standards reveals a gap between what Australians expect from advertising and what they currently experience - particularly online. The community sentiment tracking study found that 88% of Australians believe that advertising should reflect community standards and values, yet only 37% say the advertising they encounter meets those expectations. The research highlights the high expectations Australians have of advertising and the importance of aligning with community standards to maintain trust. When it comes to platforms, social media attracts the highest levels of concern (62%). The expectations gap presents a clear commercial risk for brands, with 67% of Australians saying they avoid brands that use inappropriate or offensive advertising; this increases to 83% among Australians aged 65+. (RMS)

News Feature

Pop Culture/Netflix

Dynasty: The Murdochs (2026)

Follows the Murdoch family's behind-the-scenes succession battle as Rupert's adult children compete for control of his media empire, based on thousands of documents, emails and text messages.

A high-profile Netflix docuseries scheduled to premiere on 13 March 2026. Directed by Liz Garbus, the four-part series explores the real-life "Succession" drama within the Murdoch family as Rupert Murdoch’s children battle for control of his global media empire.

Key Real-World Developments (as of March 2026)

The documentary arrives following a definitive shift in the Murdoch family power structure:

Lachlan Murdoch's Succession: In September 2025, a long-running legal battle over the Murdoch Family Trust concluded with Lachlan Murdoch cementing total control.

The Settlement: His siblings—Prudence, Elisabeth, and James—agreed to a $3.3 billion settlement (approx. $1.1 billion each) to cash out of the trust. Under a long-term "standstill agreement," they now have no further share or involvement in the family's core companies, Fox Corporation and News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch's Status: Now 94, Rupert remains Chairman Emeritus of both News Corp and Fox Corp, while Lachlan serves as the sole Chair of News Corp and Executive Chair/CEO of Fox Corp.

Netflix Docuseries Overview

The series is a deep dive into how the empire was built and the subsequent internal fracturing:

Focus: It uses thousands of pages of leaked documents, emails, and text messages to expose the private machinations between the siblings.

Themes: It explores the intersection of family and business, questioning whether a dynasty can remain a family when power and politics are involved.

Featured Experts: Includes interviews with prominent media figures like David Folkenflik, Kara Swisher, and Paddy Manning (Lachlan Murdoch's biographer).

Media

Oher documentaries or series about the family, the following are available:

The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty (2020): A three-part BBC/72 Films documentary charting Rupert's influence on British society and the closure of News of the World.

Succession (HBO): While fictional, this acclaimed drama series was widely inspired by the Murdoch family's real-world dynamics.

News

Biz/Brands (Australia)

Bunnings is Australia's most trusted brand; Telecommunications, led by Optus, is the most distrusted industry

Bunnings is the most trusted brand in the 12 months to December 2025, a ninth consecutive quarterly victory for the leading hardware retailer. Discount supermarket Aldi is in second place, and discount department store Kmart is third; the top three places have remained unchanged for an eighth straight quarter. Meanwhile, Woolworths remains Australia's most distrusted brand, while Optus deteriorated two places to be the second most distrusted brand in the 12 months to December; in fact, Optus was the single most distrusted brand in Australia during the month of December, following its fatal triple-zero outage in September. Roy Morgan's latest data on trust and distrust reveals a remarkable relationship between highly regulated industries and trust. The financial services sector provides clear evidence that greater regulation and stricter rules have helped shape public perception for the better. On the flipside, sectors like Telecommunications and Supermarkets have relatively low regulation and suffer deep distrust; they currently face severe regulatory headwinds as the public demands better accountability and a fair go. (Roy Morgan)

News

News and Pop Culture Flashback

World

News

Headlines on X (11 February 2026)

Super Bowl Analysis: X's Brand Ranx system reported 8 million posts and 3 billion impressions for Super Bowl LX, highlighting top-performing ads.

Media Presence: The platform's official News account recently announced that its Head of News has taken a seat in the White House Brady Briefing Room to represent independent and citizen journalists.

Breaking News: Major outlets continue to use X for instant updates, such as Sky News reporting on UK criminal convictions and Reuters covering Prince William's visit to Saudi Arabia.

To see live breaking news right now, you can visit the X Explore page.

News Flashback

Brand Bowl

"Brand Bowl" typically refers to the various informal competitions and analyses that evaluate the effectiveness, creativity, and public reception of the high-profile commercials aired during the Super Bowl.

The event itself is the Super Bowl, and the "Brand Bowl" is the subsequent media and public discourse surrounding the success of its advertisers.

Super Bowl Advertising Analysis

Every year, numerous organisations, from media outlets to research firms, conduct their own "Brand Bowl" analyses to determine which advertisers "won" the event. These evaluations use different metrics, including:

Consumer Sentiment: Measuring public opinion and emotional response through live focus groups and social media listening.

Brand Recall & Lift: Quantifying how well audiences remember the ad and if it positively impacts brand perception.

Social Media Engagement: Tracking mentions, shares, and overall online conversation volume during and after the game.

Expert Jurors: Panels of advertising and marketing professionals judge the ads based on strategic effectiveness, creativity, and execution.

Brands invest heavily in these commercials, often spending millions for a 30-second slot plus production costs, making the "Brand Bowl" a significant post-event discussion in the marketing world.

Recent "Brand Bowl" Highlights

The conversation around recent Super Bowl ads often highlights key themes and successful campaigns:

Nostalgia & Celebrity: Many brands use celebrities and throwbacks to the 1990s and 2000s to quickly grab attention and connect with millennial and Gen X audiences. Examples include Dunkin' with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Aniston, and spots from T-Mobile and Xfinity.

Emotional Storytelling: Ads that create a genuine emotional connection often perform well. For instance, Budweiser's 2026 ad, featuring a heartwarming friendship between a Clydesdale and a bald eagle, was a crowd favorite.

Humor: Outright funny ads remain a staple. The 2026 Uber Eats 'Foodspiracy' ad and the 2024 State Farm ad with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito were noted for their humor.

Innovation: Brands like Anthropic's AI, Claude, and tech companies like Verizon and Peacock, leveraged their ad time to demonstrate their products or align with the main event in unique ways, often generating significant online chatter.

News

Pop Culture Flashback

Musk vs Zuck

Feb 1, 2024

Social Media Wars Heat Up

Meta Gets Grilled By U.S Congress

Meta and Facebook can't stay out of the news We didn't get Zuck vs Musk in an UFC Octagon, or even via backyard broadcast via X, but we do get Zuck vs Congress and indi news media across the world is pleased to share it... Mark Zuckerberg’s apology doesn't impress New Mexico AG! Mr Zuckerberg has apologised to the parents of online child sexual abuse victims during a senate probe, but the apology was flatly dismissed by one of the state attorney generals suing the big tech bully boy who made his name for rating dorm girls on the web. Ah, the foundation of some of these big tech firms, and you wondered why some of the tech biz firms are so screwed up. Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg’s stunning apology to the parents of online child sex abuse victims during a Senate hearing was “too little, too late,” according to one of the state attorney generals currently suing the embattled social media giant. New Mexico attorney general Raúl "The Terminator" (our term, not hers) Torrez, whose office has sued Meta for exposing kids to adult sex content and alleged child predators, was on Capitol Hill on this past Wednesday as a "Zoo" (meme from the www) Zuckerberg told parents he was “sorry for everything you have all been through.” “Mr. Zuckerberg has appeared before Congress numerous in the past, and its not because he's going a good or great job. He has given assurances on the safety of his platforms many times before,” Torrez told The Post. “It seems that once the spotlight fades, they go right back to doing business as usual.” Senate Republicans, including Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, each dismissed Meta’s pitched safety measures as ineffective during harsh exchanges and barbs with Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg, who surprised the hearing’s attendees by standing up from his podium and speaking directly to the audience, told parents that “no one should go through the things that your families have suffered.” Earlier, Zuckerberg testified that his company had spent $5 billion on safety last year. ZB shows that throwing money at some problems doesn't always work.

News Flashback

Musk vs Zuck

The long-simmering rivalry between tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has evolved from corporate competition into a public feud that famously peaked with talks of a literal cage match.

The Potential "Cage Match"

While the hype reached a fever pitch in 2023, the physical fight remains unconfirmed and is widely considered unlikely to happen.

Status: Zuckerberg essentially "called off" the bout in August 2023, stating Musk "wasn't serious" after Musk suggested a practice round in Zuckerberg's backyard and claimed he needed surgery first.

The Matchup: Mark Zuckerberg: Trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), he has medaled in amateur tournaments and is significantly younger (39) and more active.

Elon Musk: Relies on his significant size and weight advantage (6'1" vs. Zuck's 5'7") and has joked about his "Walrus" move (lying on top of the opponent).

Corporate & Personal Rivalry

The "Musk vs. Zuck" conflict spans nearly a decade, rooted in business failures and clashing ideologies.

Origins (2016): The feud ignited when a SpaceX rocket explosion destroyed a $200 million Facebook satellite. Zuckerberg publicly stated he was "deeply disappointed" by the failure.

AI Debate: The two have clashed over the future of artificial intelligence. Musk views AI as an existential threat to humanity, while Zuckerberg has dismissed Musk’s "doomsday scenarios" as "irresponsible."

Platform Wars: After Musk acquired Twitter (now X), Meta launched Threads in July 2023 as a direct competitor. Musk responded by calling Zuckerberg a "copycat" and threatening a lawsuit over trade secrets. (A.I News)

News Flashback

WWE Super Bowl Ad/WWE Super Bowl

During Super Bowl LX, which took place on 8 February 2026, WWE maintained a high-profile presence through athlete appearances and broadcast partnerships, though it did not run a standalone corporate brand commercial like its "infamous" 1999 ad.

2026 Super Bowl Commercials & Broadcasts

' to promote the weekly show. Netflix x WWE Raw: Following their transition to the streaming platform, Netflix aired a 20-second commercial during the Super Bowl broadcast titled 'WWE Monday Night RAW

SummerSlam 2026: A dedicated 60-second spot aired during the weekend festivities to promote the upcoming SummerSlam 2026 event.

WWE Stars in Other Ads: Retired pro wrestler Danielle Moinet (Summer Rae) was featured in promotional content for the Madden Bowl leading up to the game.

WWE Presence at Super Bowl LX

The most significant WWE connection to the 2026 Super Bowl was the Halftime Show, headlined by music superstar and part-time WWE wrestler Bad Bunny.

Bad Bunny Halftime Show: His performance included 11 songs and was praised by fellow WWE stars like Seth Rollins, who referred to him as his "colleague" and "fellow WWE superstar" during post-game media appearances.

Attending Superstars: Several WWE athletes were spotted in attendance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, including Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston, Damian Priest, and Lola Vice.

Crossover Moments: A viral moment occurred on "Radio Row" before the game when WWE’s Seth Rollins and AEW World Champion MJF had a public interaction, shaking hands and hugging for the cameras.

Historical Context: The "Infamous" WWE Super Bowl Ad

For those searching for the classic WWE (then WWF) Super Bowl ad, it refers to the 1999 "WWF Attitude" commercial for Super Bowl XXXIII. That commercial featured stars like The Rock, Mankind, and Stone Cold Steve Austin in a corporate setting, ironically claiming the company was a "non-violent form of entertainment".

While fans often call for a return to this style of advertising, WWE has primarily focused on promoting specific events or platform partnerships (like Netflix) in recent years. (A.I News)

News

Pro Wrestling/WWE/Pop Culture

Wrestling With News And Sports Entertainment

WrestleMania Season Hits Australia And World

March 13, 2026

Drew McIntyre Quits WWE SmackDown Then Returns with Vengeance

On the March 13 SmackDown at Footprint Center, McIntyre opened with a fiery promo venting frustration over losing the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes the week before. After a confrontation with GM Nick Aldis and Bloodline enforcer Jacob Fatu, he tossed the mic and walked out, echoing a similar 2024 stunt. He resurfaced during Fatu's match against Trick Williams, blindsiding Fatu to hand Williams the upset win and stay in the WrestleMania 42 spotlight.

News

Randy Orton Brutally Turns on Cody Rhodes at SmackDown Contract Signing

During the WrestleMania 42 contract signing on SmackDown in Phoenix, Randy Orton shockingly attacked Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, busting him open after years of brotherhood from their Legacy days. Orton delivered a low blow, hurled Rhodes over the announce desk, and posed with the title belt amid the chaos at the sold-out arena. The betrayal ignited their hottest feud heading into WrestleMania 42, with other highlights including Jelly Roll's wild Miz TV appearance, the Bella Twins' return to challenge for titles, and Jade Cargill eyeing Rhea Ripley.

News

Danhausen Curses Miz Before Jelly Roll's Wild Haymaker on SmackDown

Danhausen stole the show on Friday Night SmackDown in Phoenix, handing out merch to ecstatic fans he called his 'stanhausens' and delivering his signature curse on The Miz during a tense Miz TV segment with Jelly Roll. Tensions escalated when Kit Wilson interrupted, prompting Jelly Roll to swing wildly—missing Wilson and knocking out Miz instead. Backstage sources noted Danhausen's strong recovery from a shaky WWE debut, with fans raving about his chaotic energy and speculating on WrestleMania matchups like Danhausen teaming with Jelly Roll.

News

Danhausen Cracks Up Bella Twins with Clone Joke on SmackDown

On March 13 SmackDown in Philadelphia, WWE's new signing Danhausen met Nikki and Brie Garcia for the first time backstage, delivering his signature comedy that had everyone in stitches. The 32-second clip, captioned 'TWINHAUSEN' by WWE, drew thousands of likes as Danhausen himself tweeted about the 'multiplicity.' Fresh off earning his multi-year contract by beating Brian Johnson at Elimination Chamber, Danhausen also handed out T-shirts, cursed The Miz, and amped up the show's chaos ahead of WrestleMania 42.

News

WWE 2K26 Launches with CM Punk on Cover Amid Monetization Debate

WWE 2K26 released March 13 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, with premium editions available early from March 6. CM Punk headlines the standard edition and a 2K Showcase mode mixing his career highlights with fantasy matches, joined by a roster of over 400 superstars, refined gameplay, and new types like I Quit. Early reviews score around 80 on Metacritic for its polish, but the Ringside Pass battle pass system—for Season 1 DLC like lucha libre stars—sparks backlash over grinding or paying extra, contrasting simpler unlocks in older games like 2011's SmackDown vs. Raw.

News

Pop Culture/Streaming

Marvel Teases Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 with Gritty Trailers and Posters

The eight-episode season streams on Disney+ starting March 24, showcasing Matt Murdock in his red suit facing armored foes marked 'AVTF' and tense street confrontations. Kingpin, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, commands the city skyline in a new poster hinting at his mayor-like influence, while teases include a shirtless, ripped Charlie Cox and returning faces like James Wesley in a likely flashback and Detective Brett Mahoney on rainy streets. Fans lit up over the intense action and comic nods, with Cox set to discuss favorite Daredevil runs in a mini-series dropping March 17.

News

Motorsport

Russell Wins Shanghai Sprint, Extends F1 Lead Over Ferrari Charge

Starting from pole, Mercedes' Russell dominated the Shanghai Sprint, finishing 1.2 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Leclerc with teammate Lewis Hamilton third after a razor-close fight for second. The victory gives Russell 25 Drivers' Championship points, ahead of Kimi Antonelli on 18 and Leclerc on 15, while Max Verstappen slumped to 19th after a poor launch in his Red Bull. Ferrari's double podium keeps them competitive in Constructors', though drivers gripe about the wide, battery-focused 2026 cars limiting action.

News

YouTube News

Feature

YouTube is a global online video-sharing platform owned by Google. It is currently the second-most-visited website in the world.

Key Features and Services

Core Platform: Users can watch, upload, and share a vast array of content, including music videos, educational tutorials, and live streams.

YouTube Premium: A paid subscription that removes advertisements and enables background play and offline downloads.

YouTube Music: A dedicated service for streaming millions of songs and music videos.

YouTube TV: A streaming television service that provides live TV from major broadcast and cable networks.

YouTube Shorts: A feature for creating and viewing short-form vertical videos.

Recent Developments (2026)

Premium Lite Update: In early 2026, YouTube announced that Background Play and Downloads are being added to the Premium Lite subscription tier.

AI Integration: The YouTube Labs program is testing new AI features, such as Beyond the Beat (AI hosts for music) and VibeCheck (AI coaching for Shorts).

Economic Impact: By late 2025, YouTube's annual revenue exceeded US$60 billion, driven by both advertising and its growing subscription services.

News

Awards

X wins Media Man 'Platform Of The Month; Runner-ups: YouTube and LinkedIn

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award

UFC wins Media Man 'Combat Sports Promotion Of The Month' award; Runner-up: MVP aka Most Valuable Promotions

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York

February 7, 2026

Black Friday In The USA Sees Some Light Arrive; Crypto True Believers Rejoince And Regain Some Lost Ground

Australians See Yanks Regain Some Smiles

"All That Glitters"

Sorting Pure Gold From Fools Gold?!

Who Is Putting The Crypto And Market Strings?

Roller Coaster Ride Continues Into The Weekend ...

"All That Glitters" Edition: Part 6

"Gold" (Spandau Ballet)

"You Got the Silver" (The Rolling Stones)

"Goldfinger" (Shirley Bassey)

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (The Wolf Of Wall Street theme) Cannonball Adderley

"Stretch Your Face" (TOBACCO). Silicon Valley theme

"Diamonds" (Rihanna)

"Falling Down" (1993). (James Newton Howard)

"Every 1's a Winner" (Hot Chocolate)

"Still Humble" (def rebel)

"Clubbed to Death". (The Matrix theme). Kurayamino Mix. (Rob D)

"Bulls on Parade" (Rage Against the Machine)

Markets

ASX 200 futures up 102 points/1.2% to 8749
AUD +1.4% to US70.21¢
BTC $71,212.23 +11.54%
Wall St:
Dow +2.5%
S&P +2%
NAS +2.2%
VIX -4.01 to 17.76
Gold +3.9% to $US4963.65 an ounce
Silver 77.978 +7.14 +10.08%
Oil +0.6% to $US67.93 a barrel
Iron ore -1.6% to $US99.00 a ton

News

Crypto: too early to be greedy

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has lost more than 8% in the last 24 hours to $2.22T, dropping to $2.09T at its lowest point. The Crypto fell below last April's lows and rolled back to levels last seen in September 2024. The market did not hold on to the strong line that had served as support and resistance for more than two years. Either this is a switch to panic mode, or we saw a short-term overreaction during a period of reduced liquidity, and cryptocurrencies will partially rebound in the coming days.

The sentiment index fell to 9, where it was last seen in June 2022. In general, reaching single-digit levels is a very rare occurrence. At the same time, we warn again that such oversold conditions may be followed by months of consolidation or bottoming out. Thus, in 2022, the market only bottomed out in November, falling by about a quarter, and the momentum for growth only appeared in January.

Bitcoin, at its lowest point at the start of trading on Friday, fell to $60K, ending up just one step away from its 200-week moving average, which is just below $58K. Bitcoin only fell below this line in 2022 and the following year, 2023. Before that, in 2015, 2019, and 2020, touching this line effectively stopped the sell-off, attracting buyers.

News Background

The collapse of the crypto market reflects a decline in interest in digital assets at the institutional and regulatory levels, according to Deutsche Bank. Three factors are putting pressure on Bitcoin: a steady outflow of institutional investor funds, changes in traditional Bitcoin market relationships, and the loss of regulatory momentum that previously supported liquidity and reduced volatility.

The collapse of Bitcoin was caused by the actions of large market participants, not panic among private investors, said technical analyst Peter Brandt. In his opinion, the nature of the movement, when BTC updated its lows for eight days in a row, has all the signs of a “planned sell-off.”

Tension was heightened by unconfirmed rumours of a $9 billion sale of bitcoins by a Galaxy Digital client.

Stifel admits that bitcoin could collapse to $38K due to the high correlation of cryptocurrencies with the falling US tech sector.

According to DeFiLlama, the net inflow of funds to Binance over the past 24 hours amounted to almost $700 million. The data refuted rumours circulating on social media about mass withdrawals and account closures after Binance reported technical problems with withdrawals on February 3rd.

According to Bloomberg, there is still disagreement in the US over the Clarity Act. The current version of the document prohibits the accrual of interest for staking. Crypto companies are making new concessions to US banks, but the parties have not yet reached an agreement. (FxPro)

News

Gold News

Gold tries to prove that the bull trend is not yet broken After the most significant sell-off since 1980, gold is attempting to stabilise. Bears argue that the bubble has burst and events will unfold as they did in 2011. Back then, after falling from record highs, the precious metal entered a multi-year downtrend. Bank of America notes that volatility remains elevated. This allows us to talk about gold as a speculative asset and reduces central banks' demand for bullion. This is especially true given some recovery of confidence in the US dollar.

Bulls argue that the fundamentals of the gold market remain intact. US government debt is growing rapidly, which devalues Treasuries and the greenback. Political and geopolitical risks remain high. The Fed will resume its cycle of policy easing. Also, precious metals do not seem expensive at these levels. The Dow Jones index exceeded its value by 1.3 times in 1980, and during the dot-com crisis, its ratio soared above 40. Currently, it is just over 10.

Events at the end of last week unfolded too quickly. By the close of last week, the collapse had reached historic proportions, leaving scars on the market at the start of February. Formally, we see the week closing in positive territory and an impressive rebound of $550 from Monday's lows. It is also worth mentioning that the price reached these levels for the first time just two weeks ago. Nevertheless, we remain in the bear camp, assuming that the three-year bull market has already been broken. We may see attempts to grow and even break through $5000, but we expect that too many will sell gold at these levels/ (FxPro)

News

UK/Europe News

The Bank of England sank the pound

Markets now pricing the BoE will cut its rate in March.

Neither slowing inflation nor the strength of the euro scared the ECB.

While the ECB decided to support its currency, the Bank of England deliberately sank the pound. Both regulators left rates unchanged, but this is a dovish pause. Four out of nine MPC members voted to cut the repo rate from 3.75% to 3.5%, while markets had expected only two.

Andrew Bailey noted that there is an even chance of the next rate cut next month, as inflation is sure to fall significantly. As a result, the futures market raised the probability of such an outcome from 20% to 60%, pressuring GBPUSD.

The ECB showed much more mercy to the euro. On the eve of the Governing Council meeting, investors were concerned that the slowdown in inflation in the eurozone to 1.7% in January and the 13% strengthening of the euro against the USD over the past year would provoke ‘dovish’ rhetoric from Christine Lagarde.

But eventually, she noted that the ECB would not make decisions based on a single data point and that the strengthening of the euro was already factored into its forecasts. EURUSD bulls breathed a sigh of relief. They were helped by disappointing data on the US economy. In 2025, it created 1 million fewer jobs than in 2024.

According to Challenger, layoffs are occurring at the fastest pace since the global economic crisis of 2008-2009. ADP is signalling a slowdown in employment, and unemployment claims are exceeding forecasts. The Fed has already cut rates three times pre-emptively in response to signs of a cooling jobs market. If the negative trends continue, the monetary easing will resume earlier than expected. After a series of disappointing reports, derivatives have raised the odds of an April rate cut to 40%. If the BLS employment statistics bring an unpleasant surprise, they could rise to 50%, which is bearish for the US dollar.

It is hard to say how the greenback will react to the armed conflict in the Middle East. The erosion of confidence in it due to Donald Trump's policies has led to the loss of its status as the main safe-haven asset. Gold has taken its place. However, the January-February sell-off of the precious metal and rumours of a burst bubble could change everything. Will the US dollar regain its former glory? (FxPro)

News

The Lead Up

24 Hours Ago

ASX snaps two-day winning run as silver tumbles

The Australian sharemarket snapped a two-day winning streak on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing down 38.60 points to 8889.20, while the price of silver tumbled by 15 per cent. Silver miner South32 declined 4 per cent to $4.60, while BHP fell 3.9 per cent to $50.36. Gold miner Genesis Materials declined by six per cent to $6.87 and uranium miner Paladin Energy slumped nine per cent to $12.36, while stocks to rise included the Commonwealth Bank, which rose 1.4 per cent to $159.28, and Regal Partners, up 5.1 per cent to $3.07. (RMS)

News Lead Up

ASX rises as miners rally; Yancoal soars 9pc

The Australian sharemarket posted a strong gain on Wednesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.8 per cent to close at 8,927.8 points. BHP rose 4.5 per cent to $52.40, Northern Star Resources was up 6.2 per cent at $28.55 and Woodside Energy advanced 3.1 per cent to $25.84. However, Origin Energy was down 3.6 per cent at $11.12 and Synlait Milk shed 13.5 per cent to end the session at $0.45.

News Lead Up

24 Hours + Ago

Miners

Glencore soothes Rio concerns with US deal

Glencore has secured a preliminary, non-binding agreement to sell a 40 per cent stake in its Mutanda and Kamoto copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The deal was struck just days before the expiry of a deadline for Rio Tinto and Glencore to finalise their proposed merger or extend the negotiations. The consortium that will buy a minority stake in the two copper mines is headed by Orion Resource Partners, in which the US government has a stake. Rio Tinto has concerns about the two mines' links to Israeli businessman Dan Gertler, who was sanctioned by the US government in late 2017.

News

NYSE

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) saw mixed performance during the latest trading session on February 4, 2026. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.52% to close at 49,501.30, the broader NYSE Composite Index edged up just 0.41% to finish at 22,975.59. In contrast, tech-heavy indices like the Nasdaq and S&P 500 faced pressure, sliding 1.5% and 0.5% respectively as investors rotated out of major software and semiconductor names.

Recent Market Trends (February 2026)

Rotation out of Tech: Investors are increasingly moving capital from high-valuation AI and software companies into "real economy" Dow components.

Active IPO Market: Veradermics Inc (MANE) made a massive debut on the NYSE on February 5, 2026, with shares soaring 118% from their $17.00 IPO price.

Semiconductor Consolidation: Texas Instruments announced the acquisition of Silicon Laboratories for $7.5 billion, causing SLAB shares to surge nearly 50%.

Healthcare Volatility: Eli Lilly shares jumped 10% after strong Q4 results, helping the company reclaim a $1 trillion market cap, even as other healthcare firms like Novo Nordisk slumped on cautious outlooks.

Market Outlook and Valuations

As of early February 2026, major Wall Street analysts remain generally optimistic for the year, projecting total returns for the S&P 500 of approximately 6% to 11% by year-end.

Current valuations suggest that the U.S. equity market is trading at roughly a 5% discount to fair value estimates, with small-cap and late-cycle technology stocks identified as especially attractive. However, experts warn that elevated volatility is likely to persist due to shifting government policies and potential risks in the AI sector.

News Lead Up

24 Hours Ago +

Crypto market updates local lows

Market Overview

The crypto market cap fell 2.2% to $2.59 trillion, briefly touching $2.49 trillion, and is continuing its descent to last April's lows. Solana was hit particularly hard by the sell-off among the top coins, losing 6.8% compared to 2.9% for Bitcoin and 1.6% for Ethereum. Tron outperformed the market, gaining 1% on the day and losing only 2.3% over 7 days and 2.8% over 30 days, compared to a 14.5% and 18.1% decline in total cap, respectively.

Bitcoin broke through its 2025 lows on Tuesday and briefly fell below $73,000, back to its early November 2024 lows. Although there has been some rebound since the start of Wednesday, the sequence of lower local highs and lows indicates that selling on the rise prevails in the markets. Bulls, for their part, may point to oversold conditions on the RSI and divergence, where a lower local price low corresponds to a higher local low on the relative strength index. There were two such instances in 2024 and 2025, followed by gains of more than 20% and 60%, respectively. However, during the 2020 bear market, such signals did not work. News Background

Demand in the BTC spot market is drying up, with additional pressure from stablecoin outflows from trading platforms. Uncertainty surrounding the Fed's policy and the possible appointment of Kevin Warsh threaten to strengthen the dollar. This has a negative impact on risky assets, according to Arctic Digital.

There are no catalysts for growth in the crypto market, and selling pressure remains. In such conditions, Bitcoin risks falling to $56,000-58,000, according to Galaxy Digital.

The current crypto winter is closer to its end than its beginning, according to Bitwise. The crypto market is nearing the end of its decline phase, according to Compass Point. The base scenario assumes that BTC will bottom out in the $60,000-68,000 range.

According to a JPMorgan survey, asset managers from 30 countries around the world are betting on artificial intelligence, leaving cryptocurrencies out of the picture. Only 17% of respondents consider digital assets to be a key topic.

The German division of ING Bank has opened access to exchange-traded notes (ETNs) focused on cryptocurrencies to retail clients. The instruments allow investors to invest in Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana through the familiar banking interface. (FxPro)

News

Gold

Gold inflates a new bubble

The US dollar may suffer because of Kevin Warsh

Gold volatility remains elevated

The drop of US stock indices amid new developments in artificial intelligence has caused the US dollar to retreat. Software stocks have been hit hardest by Anthropic's innovations. The US market no longer looks as exceptional as it once did, with investors tending to diversify their portfolios and sell off American stocks. Coupled with a reassessment of Kevin Warsh's views as Fed chairman, this brings back interest in buying EURUSD. The futures market gives a 59% probability of a federal funds rate cut in June and expects two acts of monetary expansion before the end of the year. MUFG Bank notes that Kevin Warsh is respected by the markets. Donald Trump's choice in his favour has eased concerns about the Fed losing its independence and boosted confidence in the US dollar. However, the former FOMC official intends to cut rates. Rumours are growing on Forex that they will fall by 100-125 basis points. The Fed is not a one-man show. It will require a change in the economic outlook of the majority of the Open Market Committee, and this process is already underway. According to Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin, companies are not raising prices due to customer resistance. They are absorbing the tariffs. This is good news for inflation. The US economy is growing thanks to the artificial intelligence ecosystem and serving wealthy customers. The retreat of the US dollar has strengthened investors' desire to buy gold after the slump. Political and geopolitical tensions remain high, fuelling interest in gold as a safe-haven asset. In percentage terms, the precious metal recorded its largest daily gain since March 2009. At that time, investors were actively buying it due to the global economic crisis. However, Bank of America warns that there was no decline in volatility after gold collapsed on Black Friday, 30 January. The indicator continues to remain at high levels, increasing the risks of a new bubble forming. As the parliamentary elections approach, hedge funds are increasing their sales of the yen. If the Liberal Democratic Party strengthens its position in the lower house, interest in ‘Takaichi trade’ will return, inspiring USDJPY bulls. (FxPro)

News

The Lead Up

24 + Hours Ago ...

Cryptos

Very limited rebound in crypto

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation grew by 1.7% in 24 hours to $2.65 trillion. Once again, the positive sentiment in global financial markets came to the rescue of crypto. BNB is leading the rebound, benefiting from the support of the founder of Binance and Doge, which was mentioned again by Musk. At the same time, local resistance has formed in the market at $2.65-2.68 trillion, where the rebound has been losing momentum since the beginning of the month.

Bitcoin is trading above $78K, about 5% higher than Monday's lows, but hitting resistance from 1 February. This limited rebound is causing bearish sentiment about the immediate prospects for Bitcoin and the whole crypto market. News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds fell by $1.696 billion last week, following an outflow of $1.732 billion the week before. Investments in Bitcoin fell by $1.321 billion, in Ethereum by $308 million, in XRP by $44 million, in Solana by $32 million, and in multi-asset funds by $14 million.

The options market indicates that investors are beginning to form positions in anticipation of a local bottom. Long-term Bitcoin investors have moved into unrealised losses, which allows the market to transition into an ‘extremely bearish’ phase, according to CryptoQuant. The market has also been negatively affected by a persistent lack of liquidity for several months.

Bernstein expects the crypto market decline to end when Bitcoin reaches the highs of the previous cycle in the $60,000 range. The subsequent reversal will lay the foundation for the ‘most significant cycle’ for BTC.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone reiterated his forecast for the current year, according to which Bitcoin could fall to $10,000. In his opinion, the current year may resemble the crisis years of 2008 and 2000-2001.

Corporate Ethereum holders suffered a major loss after the asset's value fell. According to BitMineTracker, the ‘paper’ losses of BitMine, the largest holder of the second-largest cryptocurrency, amounted to $6.95 billion. Investor Ross Gerber called this ETH purchase potentially ‘the worst deal in history.’

Hong Kong-based Trend Research has already begun to reduce its positions, selling 33,589 ETH ($79 million) at a loss. Japanese financial holding company Nomura is also reducing its investments in cryptocurrencies. However, Strategy continues to buy, acquiring another 855 BTC ($75.3 million) over the past week at an average price of $87,974. (FxPro)

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Media Man

Cryptocurrency, Finance and World

"Volatility is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael Saylor

"Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme." — Naval Ravikant

"We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error." — Tyler Winklevoss

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." — John McAfee

"Bitcoin is the most important invention in the history of the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver

"Cryptocurrency is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn governments." — Charles Lee

"In the future, national currencies will become obsolete. Bitcoin will become the single global currency." — Jack Dorsey

"The future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng Zhao

"Crypto offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged." — Elizabeth Stark

"The new frontier of innovation is in decentralization. Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott

"Digital currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter of how long before governments embrace it." — Brad Garlinghouse

Pop Culture

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking

The Million Dollar Man vs IRS

Money INC vs Right To Censor

Santa vs Grinch

Bulls vs Bears

Crypto King vs Mr World Bank

Citizens vs NWO

Neo vs Agent Smith

John McAfee vs You Know Who!

TKO vs Naysayers

Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
Lexis King vs NIL's (WWE NXT)
Volk vs Naysayers (UFC: Sydney, Australia)
Brock Lesnar vs Everyone! (WWE Royal Rumble)
Roman Reigns vs CM Punk (WWE WrestleMania)
Green vs The Coal Miners Daughter
AC/DC vs Swifties
Triangle v World Bank
Sarah's Oil vs Big Oil
Mr X vs Mr VOX
Mr X vs Mr Platformer
Mr FOX vs Mr Vice
Fox And The Hound vs The View
The Masked Superstar vs Mr Jones
The Undertaker vs Mankind
UFC Legends vs Father Time
Vinnie Vegas and Oz vs Los Americanos
NXT GM vs The Don
Mr Moneymaker vs Mr Regulator
Mr Blockchain vs Mr EU
WWE Unreal vs The Old Guard
Reality TV vs John Pilger Type Journalism and Docos
Mr Real Deal vs Mr Grifter
Mr Truth vs Mr Shock Jock
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky: Rematch

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

January 2026

Jan 27

Sydney, Australia re-opens

to Wall Street, New York

Media Man's X Returns With A Bang

Gold Glitters And Crypto's Start To Shine Edition

"Ruby Tuesday" In Sin City Sydney
"Tuesday's Gone" Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Gold" Spandau Ballet
"Stretch Your Face" Silicon_Valley theme (Tobacco. Composer)
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"(Cannonball Adderley). The Wolf of Wall Street theme

Markets

ASX 200 futures up 52 points/0.6% to 8880
AUD +0.4% to US69.18¢
BTC $88,344.02 +0.64%

Wall St:
Dow +0.8%
S&P +0.6%
NAS +0.5%
VIX -0.26 to 15.83
Gold +1.1% to $US5043.71 oz
Oil -0.4% to $US65.61 a barrel
Iron -1% to $US103.55 a ton

10-year yield: US 4.21% Aust 4.81%

Cryptos

The crypto market rose due to dollar weakness

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has fallen by 5% over the past seven days. The decline resumed at the start of the new week, with total capitalisation falling to $2.9T amid slippage in an illiquid market. In recent hours, however, positive momentum has prevailed, bringing the market back to $2.97T due to the weakness of the US dollar and global purchases of risky assets. But even now, cryptocurrencies remain a lagging class of risk-sensitive assets, falling short of metals and the strongest global currencies.

Bitcoin hit a low for the day near $86K, its lowest level since December. After that, the market received support from the weak dollar, which, like a tide, lifted all boats at once. The technical bearish picture remains relevant, despite the gains in recent hours. BTC remains below its key moving average lines and has not attempted to break through the support of the last two months. News Background

Outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US over the past shortened week nearly offset the previous week's inflows, reaching their highest level in almost 11 months. According to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot BTC ETFs amounted to $1.33 billion. Net weekly outflows from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US exceeded $611 million.

Bitcoin holders began to record net losses for the first time since October 2023, signalling the asset's entry into an ‘early bear market.’ Bitcoin is now trading below the acquisition price of 75% of the total supply, signalling growing pressure from sellers, Glassnode notes.

The main reason for BTC's weakness is large-scale sales by long-term holders, rather than concerns about quantum computing, according to Checkonchain.

Activity on the Ethereum mainnet has exceeded that of layer 2 (L2) solutions since the Fusaka upgrade. Token Terminal has called this trend a ‘return to the mainnet.’ At the same time, there has been an outflow of liquidity from ‘add-ons.’

The adoption of cryptocurrencies by banks, large corporations and investment companies is no longer an ‘optional or peripheral’ process, notes auditing firm PwC in its report on global cryptocurrency regulation for 2026. ‘Institutional participation has passed the point of no return.’

DAT companies accumulating cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets will face ‘severe consolidation’ in the coming year — only a few of the largest players with Bitcoin and Ethereum on their balance sheets will survive, warns Pantera Capital. (FxPro)

News

Interventions spooked the dollar

Rumours of coordinated intervention caused the USD index to plummet.

The risk of a new shutdown is putting pressure on the greenback.

The US dollar started in the last week of January with a down gap amid investor fears of coordinated currency intervention. Japan's Deputy Finance Minister Atsushi Mimura said that the authorities would respond to speculative actions on the Forex in close cooperation with the US. In 1985, such cooperation ended in a spectacular collapse of the USD. Will we see history repeat itself?

Politics is encroaching on the economy. Donald Trump intends to use non-market methods to lower the key policy rate by replacing the Fed chair and filling the FOMC with doves. The US president has repeatedly spoken out in favour of a weaker currency, which would increase the competitiveness of American manufacturers. Tokyo's interest in strengthening the yen to lower import prices and slow inflation is being exploited by Washington for its own purposes.

Countries are forced to respond to the uncertainty of Donald Trump's policies and the associated slowdown in economic growth with fiscal stimulus measures. According to Apollo Global Management estimates, government support measures will accelerate GDP growth in the US and Germany by 1 percentage point in 2026 and in Japan by 0.5 percentage points. This leads to an increase in public debt. The Germans can afford this, which has a positive effect on the EURUSD.

Pressure on the US dollar has intensified due to the growing risks of another shutdown. Dissatisfied with the shootings in Minneapolis, Democrats are not going to vote for the government funding package without serious changes to the national security system. The government risks being sidelined again, which will negatively affect GDP growth. The same goes for the devastating winter storm, which could bring hardship to nearly 200 million Americans. Already, 11,900 flights have been cancelled at airports from Dallas to Boston, and about 900,000 consumers are without power.

In 2025, the US economy managed to withstand tariffs and the shutdown thanks to investments in artificial intelligence, productivity growth and the wealth effect. However, will it be resilient in 2026? If not, the US dollar risks weakening.

Gold was the main beneficiary of the fall in the USD index. Its price rose by 17% so far this year and is approaching $5,100 per ounce. (FxPro)

News

Jan 27

Gold and silver mania lifts ASX to 3-month peak

The Australian sharemarket climbed to a three-month high on Tuesday as investors returned from the long weekend to surging precious metal prices, looking past the noise of shifting US trade policies.

President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he will increase tariffs on South Korean goods, including autos, from 15 per cent to 25 per cent as he accused the ally’s legislature of “not living up” to its trade deal with Washington.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 85.3 points, or 1 per cent, to 8945.40, rebounding from last week’s 0.5 per cent loss. If sustained, it would be the index’s biggest one-day rise this year.

Of the 11 sectors, nine were in the green, led by materials and energy.BHP leapt 2.9 per cent, regaining its position as Australia’s most valuable listed company for the first time in 18 months, unseating the Commonwealth Bank, which managed a modest 0.6 per cent gain.

Miners led the charge as gold and silver set fresh records. Bullion hit $US5100 an ounce, and silver topped $US114 on Monday. As a result, Horizon Minerals jumped nearly 8 per cent, Alkane Resources leapt 3.9 per cent, and Newmont rose 1.8 per cent.

Among silver mines, Investigator Silver and Silver Mines advanced 8.3 per cent each, while, Sun Silver pushed up 6 per cent.Elsewhere, Rio Tinto gained 2.2 per cent, and Capstone Copper was the biggest index gainer, up 8 per cent.

In the index-heavy financial area, all the big banks were in the green, led by Macquarie Group, up 2 per cent. National Australia Bank rose 1.3 per cent.

Family app Life360 and mining group Alcoa were the two biggest laggards, down more than 8 per cent.

In currencies, the Australian dollar climbed to US69.40¢, nearing its strongest level in three years, on growing expectations the Reserve Bank will lift the cash rate next month.

Higher borrowing costs would boost the appeal of Australian-denominated assets such as government bonds.

Also supporting the Aussie was a broadly weaker greenback on fears of a partial US government shutdown this week.

Republicans and Democrats are at odds over funding for the Department of Homeland Security after the fatal shooting of a second US citizen by federal immigration officers in Minnesota. (AFR) *full coverage via subscription to The Australian Financial Review

News

Jan 27

Stocks

Shares in DroneShield cratered 6 per cent despite doubling revenue in the December quarter, from a year ago.

Iron ore giant Fortescue Metals rose 1.3 per cent after sweeping up all remaining shares of dual-listed Alta Copper at $C1.40 ($1.47) per share, as the mining giant expands into the red metal.

Wholesaler company Metcash rallied 1.2 per cent following the appointment of Bruce Sabatta as the new chief executive of its food service and convenience business, from next month.

Brazil-focused explorer and producer Karoon Energy trimmed early gains and was trading flat despite posting a lower output in the December quarter, from the September period.

Jewellery retailer Michael Hill International jumped 4 per cent after reporting a stronger half-year profit than a year ago despite record gold prices.

Insurer group AUB was placed on a trading halt after launching a $400 million institutional placement to finance a UK acquisition.

Santos leapt 3.1 per cent on news it had finally shipped its first liquefied natural gas cargo from a delayed Barossa project in the Timor Sea.

Health tech group Cyclopharm soared 18 per cent after its lung imaging technology received a major endorsement from America’s top medical professionals.

News

Numbers Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.6918 USD (up $0.0080 USD)
Iron Ore Feb Spot Price: $103.55 USD (down $0.10 USD) Oil Price): $60.58 USD (up $1.25 USD)
Gold Price: $5,036.89 USD (up $117.01 USD)
Copper Price: $5.9240 USD (up $0.1240 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,446.27 (up 347.56 points on Friday's close)

News/Profile

Wall Street

Physical Street and Landmark

Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.

Location: It runs between Broadway and South Street, ending at the East River.

Key Landmarks: It is home to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Federal Hall National Memorial, where George Washington was inaugurated.

History: The name originates from a 17th-century defensive wall built by Dutch settlers to protect New Amsterdam from potential British or Native American attacks.

Financial Industry Metonym

The term is a metonym for the U.S. financial markets, including stock exchanges, investment banks, and brokerage firms.

Institutions: Major firms associated with Wall Street include JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.

Current Activity (January 2026):

As of January 24, 2026, markets have seen volatility following a week of "policy whiplash" related to international tariff threats. Recent trading shows the S&P 500 flat, while the Nasdaq has risen 0.3% despite a 17% tumble in Intel stock.

Media and Publications

The Wall Street Journal: A premier business-focused international newspaper headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.

Pop Culture: The street’s high-stakes culture has been immortalized in films like Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987) and Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).