Most Important News

1. US Defense Stocks Surge on $1.5 Trillion Budget Boost Call
2. Nvidia Reportedly Demands Full Payment Upfront from Chinese Clients for H200 Chips

US stock futures fell Thursday, putting the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average on track to pull back further from record levels.

As of 08:25, EST (or 4:25 PM in Riyadh), futures tied to the 30-stock Dow shed 168 points, or 0.34%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 0.1% and 0.14%, respectively.

-As of 04:45 PM Riyadh Time, top pre-market movements are as follows:

Wall Street Split On Payrolls

Wall Street forecasts for the post-shutdown December payrolls report diverge sharply, ranging from 25,000 to 155,000 additions. While the Wall Street Journal consensus anticipates a modest 73,000 gain following ADP reporting 41,000 private hires, investors fear unemployment nearing the critical 5% threshold could trigger immediate Federal Reserve policy adjustments.

Official Gold Stock Tops 900M Ounces

For the first time in three decades, global central bank gold reserves have likely surpassed US Treasury holdings, reaching an estimated valuation of $3.93 trillion by year-end versus $3.88 trillion in foreign-held US debt. World Gold Council data confirms official stockpiles now exceed 900 million troy ounces, driven by aggressive diversification away from dollar assets.

Spot Gold Sinks To $4420

Precious metals plunged on January 8 as the Bloomberg Commodity Index rebalancing slashed Gold's weight to 14.9% and Silver to 3.94%. Deutsche Bank projects forced passive selling of 2.4 million ounces of gold could depress prices by up to 3% through January 14.

Trump: U.S. May Run Venezuela "For Years" To Tap Oil Reserves

President Trump said Wednesday night he expects the U.S. to oversee Venezuelan governance “for years” while exploiting the country’s vast oil wealth, adding that a transitional government of former Maduro loyalists “is giving us everything we think we need.”

US Defense Stocks Surge on $1.5 Trillion Budget Boost Call

US defense stocks soared pre-market after President Trump called for a 50% increase in US defense spending, targeting a $1.5 trillion budget for 2027, lifting shares of Northrop Grumman Corp.(NOC.US) (+9%), Lockheed Martin Corporation(LMT.US) (+8%), and RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION(RTX.US) (+5%) after initial declines over Trump's earlier criticism of the sector.

Nvidia Reportedly Demands Full Payment Upfront from Chinese Clients for H200 Chips

NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA.US) is reportedly requiring Chinese clients to pay in full upfront for orders of its H200 AI chips, amid reports that Chinese authorities asked some tech firms to pause purchases, prompting the company to enforce unusually strict terms where orders cannot be canceled or changed, and clients may need to provide commercial insurance or asset collateral as payment alternatives in special cases.

TSMC Faces Supply Shortage for 3nm Process, Pushes Clients Toward 2nm

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Sponsored ADR(TSM.US) gained over 1% pre-market as its advanced 3nm process faces high demand and supply constraints. Industry sources note that TSMC has paused new 3nm project startups due to full capacity and is encouraging clients in early design stages to evaluate its 2nm process directly for future production and cost efficiency.

Chevron in Talks with US to Expand Venezuela Operations, Boost Oil Exports

Chevron Corporation(CVX.US) is reportedly negotiating with the US government to expand key operating licenses in Venezuela to increase crude exports to its own refineries, potentially restoring previous export levels and supplying Venezuelan oil to commercial partners. The US is also pushing other American firms, including ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, to participate in Venezuelan oil exports.

Alibaba Commits to Increased Investment in Taobao Flash Sales for Market Dominance

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Sponsored ADR(BABA.US)'s latest investor communication stated that Taobao Flash Sales made key progress last quarter. The group clarified its 2026 strategy: share growth is the top priority, and it will firmly increase investment to achieve absolute market leadership.

XPeng Launches Four New Models, Plans Robotaxi and Robotics Mass Production

XPENG INC.(XPEV.US) unveiled four new models, including updated versions of the G6, G9, G7, and P7+, all equipped with its second-generation VLA model for advanced autonomous driving. CEO He Xiaopeng announced plans for mass production of humanoid robots and flying cars in 2026, along with the launch of Robotaxi operations.

Reneuron Group Extends Rally, Up 13% Pre-Market on Continued Brain-Computer Interface Hype

Regencell Bioscience Holdings Ltd.(RGC.US) extended its surge, gaining over 25% pre-market after a 157% three-day rally, fueled by ongoing market excitement over brain-computer interface (BCI) technology following Elon Musk's "mass production" hints. Analyst reports note China's BCI industry is advancing with policy support, accelerating commercialization.

Goldman Post-CES: AI Infrastructure Demand Shifts To Embodied And Agentic AI

Dispelling fears of a peak AI cycle, Goldman Sachs said intensive CES meetings with chip giants NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA.US) , Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.(AMD.US) , Analog Devices, Inc.(ADI.US), Marvell Technology, Inc.(MRVL.US) and Micron Technology, Inc.(MU.US) show the boom is evolving, not ending. A Jan. 7 research note says AI infrastructure demand remains strong but drivers are shifting structurally—mid-term incremental growth will come from "physical AI" (embodied intelligence) and "agentic AI."