While the markets are busy cheering for record highs, the underlying stories reveal a world where sovereign borders are treated as negotiable assets and valuations have drifted into the stratosphere. Investment banks posted record profits and US markets hit all-time highs on the back of semi-conductors and a relentless artificial intelligence (AI) data centre expenditure.
All the top moves, shakes, and asset managerment rakes from Azzet’s editorial team are right here in your weekly business wrap every Friday (16 January, 2026).
Hold onto your britches as we lay out the week that was.
Operation Absolute Resolve
If you thought the era of interventionism was in the rear-view mirror, think again - it has just been rebranded as a surgical resource recovery mission.
Operation Absolute Resolve (the names are more Hollywood than Hollywood nowadays…), which culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, is looking more and more like a hostile takeover of a failing petro-state.
The military execution was a textbook display of tech dominance using stealth platforms to blind local defences while specialised units extracted a head of state from his own fortified bunker.
While the United States claims to be securing the region for administrative continuity, the priority is clearly the rehabilitation of high-sulphur crude infrastructure that has been rotting for a decade.
It is a corporate-backed protectorate in all but name. Could 2026 be the year when energy security and military might became indistinguishable on the global balance sheet?
Anthropic’s $350bn billion pipe dream
While the U.S. military was busy in Caracas, Silicon Valley was attempting its own form of financial leverage with Anthropic’s bid for a $350 billion valuation.
This is not a figure grounded in earnings or conventional multiples - it's speculative based on the sheer volume of "tech buddy" dry powder currently looking for a home.
The speed of this markup is startling, representing a massive expansion in equity value at a time when most sectors are actually tightening.
Monday
The week opened with the staggering confirmation that U.S. forces had seized control of Venezuela following the pre-dawn capture of the nation’s president.
The military operation reportedly utilised advanced electronic warfare to disable local communications before specialised units moved into the capital Caracas.
Despite the geopolitical shock, U.S. stocks hit new highs as traders largely ignored the Federal Reserve’s warnings about persistent inflation and potential rate hikes.
Market analysts noted that the S&P 500 reached an intraday record even as a new probe was launched into central bank operations.
In a blow to the green energy transition, General Motors announced a massive $6 billion charge as it cuts EV capacity to focus on more profitable internal combustion models.
The automaker cited a cooling market for electric SUVs as the primary driver behind the sudden strategic pivot.
China reported its highest inflation in three years, driven by skyrocketing food and energy costs. The spike in consumer prices is putting significant pressure on the country's manufacturing sector and export margins.
The AI race found a new benchmark as LMArena achieved a $1.7 billion valuation after a successful seed funding round. The platform is increasingly viewed as the critical neutral ground for ranking the reasoning capabilities of competing large language models.
Tuesday
Geopolitical theatre continued on Tuesday as the deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court while Rodriguez took the reins in Caracas.
The new administration has promised to cooperate with international observers to ensure a period of administrative stability.
President-elect Trump solidified his regional strategy by moving to keep Exxon out of Venezuela oil plans for the time being. His transition team is reportedly prioritising the use of military contractors to secure the nation's critical energy infrastructure.
In a major tech realignment, Apple reportedly relegated OpenAI as it turns to Gemini for Siri to power its next-generation assistant features.
The shift to Google's architecture is believed to be driven by superior latency performance and better integration with mobile hardware.
Anthropic capitalised on the frenzy by seeking a valuation of $350 billion ahead of a planned stock market debut later this year. Investors are betting that the company's latest model will outperform the market in complex enterprise coding tasks.
On the domestic front, the ASX closed higher as mining stocks surged on the back of a decade-high gold price. Producers across Western Australia saw their share prices climb as global instability drove a rush toward safe-haven assets.
The local trading floor saw Endeavour Group slide amidst regulatory concerns, while junior explorers like Sun Silver found fresh support. Market sentiment was largely divided between defensive consumer staples and high-risk resource plays.
Global energy markets felt the heat as oil prices rise due to intensifying civil unrest across the Iranian interior. Traders are pricing in a significant risk premium as key ports face potential disruptions from striking maritime workers.
In the retail sector, Aldi announced plans to expand operations in the U.S. by opening 800 new stores by 2028. The discount giant is targeting value-conscious shoppers hit hardest by the recent spike in American grocery costs.
Paramount filed a lawsuit against WBD for information on Netflix deal terms, alleging a breach of licensing transparency. The legal battle could potentially stall several high-profile streaming partnerships planned for the second half of 2026.
Wednesday
The middle of the week saw safe-haven assets dominate as gold prices soared amidst an ongoing Federal Reserve investigation. Spot gold hit record levels as investors sought shelter from the dual threats of regional war and economic manipulation.
In the United Kingdom, the government demanded action over Grok deepfakes appearing on Elon Musk’s social media platform. Ofcom (Office of Communications) warned that the service could face multi-billion pound fines if it failed to implement strict content safety filters.
Media giant NBCUniversal set a new Winter Olympics ad sales record, grossing over $1.5 billion before the opening ceremony. Strong demand for digital streaming packages has successfully offset the traditional decline in linear television viewership.
Aviation growth remained steady with Airbus reporting that deliveries were up 4% compared to the previous financial year. The manufacturer confirmed it has a robust order backlog as global airlines rush to modernise their ageing fleets.
Thursday
Hardware demand remains insatiable as TSMC smashed records with a massive 35 per cent jump in quarterly profit. The foundry's dominance in 2nm and 3nm node production has made it the undisputed gatekeeper of the global AI economy.
The pace moderated on Thursday as U.S. futures dipped slightly and bank stocks remained largely unchanged. Traders appear to be pausing to digest the implications of the new energy landscape in South America.
Western supply chain security returned to the spotlight as we asked if 2026 is the year of the magnet. Efforts to break the monopoly on rare earths are accelerating as the U.S. and E.U. pour billions into domestic processing hubs.
In Australia, the government announced a high-stakes anti-Semitism Royal Commission to address rising community tensions. The inquiry will examine the role of social media algorithms in radicalising domestic political movements.
Friday
Closing the week, maritime tensions hit a new peak as a Russian-flagged ship linked to Venezuela was seized by the U.S. Navy. The vessel was intercepted in the Caribbean for allegedly violating active trade sanctions on the South American nation.
Consolidation is sweeping the resource sector as gold fuels record M&A activity. Major miners are aggressively targeting junior explorers to replenish their gold reserves while prices remain at historic highs and Rio Tinto and Glencore may just finally tie the knot.
On the domestic trading floor, 4D Medical and BHP moved higher alongside a very strong showing from Neometals. The resources sector remains the primary engine of the ASX as global demand for critical minerals shows no sign of slowing.
Energy prices saw a reversal as oil prices fell on news that Washington will not pursue military action in Iran. The White House stated it would rely on diplomatic pressure rather than kinetic force to address the ongoing protests.
Gold stayed high after Donald Trump confirmed he has no plan to fire Powell during his current term. The statement has provided a temporary floor for the bond market, which had been pricing in a leadership vacuum.
Broader APAC markets were mixed as investors waited for South Korean interest rate updates. Regional volatility remains high as neighbouring economies adjust to the aggressive new U.S. trade doctrine.
In South East Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia blocked Grok due to concerns about the AI's ability to bypass national censorship laws. The ban is expected to trigger a broader debate about the sovereignty of digital borders in the generative AI era.
Finally, the UN warned that the Australia CPI is set to rise further as supply chain costs continue to mount. The forecast suggests that Australian households will face higher energy bills and transport costs well into the next year.
