Category: Market News

Cobra Resources (LSE:COBR) has commenced a Stage 1 drilling programme at the high-grade Manna Hill copper-gold project in South Australia, where it holds a 12-month option to acquire the asset. The initial focus is on establishing scale at the Blue Rose prospect, alongside follow-up work at the nearby Neptune Rose and Black Baccara targets. Regulatory approvals allow for up to 50 drill holes, with the opening campaign covering approximately 3,000 metres.

The programme is designed to test the lateral and depth continuity of previously identified shallow skarn mineralisation, while also assessing geophysical anomalies interpreted as potential porphyry-style systems and structurally controlled targets. Assay results are expected in March, with any subsequent drilling to be guided by geological observations and early outcomes. The campaign reflects Cobra’s ambition to define a scalable copper system in a supportive mining jurisdiction and to diversify its asset base beyond its core rare earth exposure.

From a market perspective, the company’s outlook continues to be constrained by its financial profile, with no revenue generation, ongoing losses and continued cash outflows, although this is partially offset by a debt-free balance sheet. Technically, the shares show more encouraging signals, trading above key moving averages with positive momentum. Valuation metrics remain difficult to assess due to negative earnings and the absence of dividend yield visibility.

More about Cobra Resources Plc

Cobra Resources is a South Australia-focused critical minerals developer progressing assets toward pre-production. Its portfolio includes the Boland ionic rare earth discovery at the Wudinna Project, currently the only rare earth project in Australia considered suitable for in situ recovery mining, alongside the Manna Hill Copper Project within the Nackara Arc, which hosts several underexplored copper prospects. The company has streamlined its portfolio by monetising its Wudinna gold assets through a sale to Barton Gold for up to A$15 million, allowing it to concentrate on critical minerals and large-scale copper opportunities in a jurisdiction that hosts the majority of Australia’s copper reserves.

Plexus Holdings (LSE:POS) used its AGM to set out a renewed growth strategy following a year focused on stabilisation and repositioning after an unusually strong prior period. The Group has been intentionally investing in its rental wellhead fleet while reinforcing its balance sheet, positioning itself for more consistent utilisation and revenue generation. Management expects to have 16 Exact rental wellhead systems available by 2026, building a larger, higher-specification asset base designed to support repeat deployments across multiple customers, projects and geographies.

The company is close to commencing rental operations in the Middle East, marking the first phase of a broader regional expansion. North America is expected to follow in 2026, with additional upside identified in the North Sea, particularly in jack-up drilling, decommissioning and CCS-related activity, where demand is forecast to increase and Plexus’ technology is considered a strong fit. Beyond the Exact system, Plexus highlighted the strategic value of its wider intellectual property portfolio, including the Python subsea wellhead, which management sees as a longer-term contributor across both rental and production-led markets.

Confidence in the strategy has been reinforced by insider backing, including board participation in the 2025 fundraising and a £2 million loan provided by the chair. Management believes these steps leave the Group well placed to deliver more durable revenues and sustainable medium-term value for shareholders.

Despite the strategic progress, the investment case continues to be weighed down by volatile financial performance. A sharp decline in revenue and profitability in 2025, alongside negative operating and free cash flow, has offset the strength of the balance sheet. While recent share price action suggests a short-term recovery, there is limited evidence of a sustained longer-term trend, and valuation metrics remain pressured due to ongoing losses and a negative P/E ratio.

More about Plexus Holdings

Plexus Holdings plc is an Aberdeen-based provider of specialised wellhead systems for offshore oil and gas operations. The Group is recognised for its POS-GRIP and HG metal-to-metal sealing technologies, which are designed to enhance safety, prevent blowouts, reduce methane leakage and lower lifecycle maintenance costs. Its solutions are primarily deployed on jack-up rigs across exploration, appraisal and plug-and-abandonment work, while the company is also expanding into adjacent energy transition markets such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and geothermal. Plexus works with major industry partners, including SLB and TechnipFMC, as it seeks to align its technology offering with evolving ESG and Net Zero priorities.

US stock futures signalled a higher open on Thursday, pointing to a possible rebound after two consecutive sessions of declines on Wall Street.

Technology stocks were expected to lead the advance, with futures linked to the Nasdaq 100 climbing around 1%, reflecting renewed investor appetite for growth names.

The brighter outlook for tech was supported in part by a strong market response to earnings from Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM). Shares of the chipmaker rose more than 5% in pre-market trading after the company posted a sharp increase in fourth-quarter profits.

“After last week’s revenue update it was an open secret that TSMC would be reporting a record quarter but the details are still striking,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

“Not least the levels of capital expenditure TSMC is committing to, suggesting it is fully confident the AI boom has legs,” he added. “This is underlined by the company’s guidance for 30% growth in 2026.”

On the economic front, fresh US labour market data offered additional support. The Labor Department reported that initial claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly declined in the week ended January 10, falling to 198,000 from the prior week’s revised level of 207,000. Economists had forecast an increase to 215,000.

The tentative recovery follows another weak trading session on Wednesday, when stocks extended recent losses despite paring an early sell-off. The Nasdaq led the declines, dropping 238.12 points, or 1.0%, to 23,471.75. The S&P 500 fell 37.14 points, or 0.5%, to 6,926.60, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 42.36 points, or 0.1%, to 49,149.63.

Recent market weakness has been partly attributed to rising geopolitical uncertainty, including renewed attention on developments involving Greenland, political unrest in Iran and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Bank stocks also weighed on sentiment. Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) slid 4.6% after reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings but disappointing revenue. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) dropped 3.8% despite beating forecasts, while Citigroup (NYSE:C) also moved sharply lower even after delivering stronger-than-expected results.

Earlier data from the Commerce Department showed US retail sales rose more than anticipated in November, increasing 0.6% on the month after a revised 0.1% decline in October. Excluding autos, sales advanced 0.5%, ahead of expectations for a 0.4% gain.

A separate Labor Department report showed producer prices increased modestly in November.

By sector, software stocks led losses in the previous session, pulling the Dow Jones US Software Index down 2.4% to its lowest closing level in eight months. Networking stocks also came under pressure, with the NYSE Arca Networking Index falling 1.6%. Airline and retail shares lagged, while energy stocks bucked the broader trend and posted solid gains.

Amazon Web Services (NASDAQ:AMZN) has launched the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, making the new platform generally available as a cloud environment designed exclusively to meet Europe’s data sovereignty and regulatory standards.

The sovereign cloud operates entirely within the European Union and is architected to be both physically and logically isolated from AWS’s other global regions.

Amazon said it plans to invest more than €7.8 billion in the German deployment of the European Sovereign Cloud, an investment expected to support roughly 2,800 full-time equivalent jobs on average each year.

The company also outlined plans to extend the sovereign cloud footprint across the EU, with the first phase of expansion set to include new AWS Local Zones in Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal.

By offering a dedicated European cloud environment, AWS aims to provide customers with infrastructure that complies with regional data governance and sovereignty requirements, while remaining operationally independent from its global cloud network.

US equity futures traded unevenly on Thursday, with modest gains in contracts tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq offset by slight declines in Dow futures. Investor attention centred on comments from President Donald Trump regarding Federal Reserve leadership, blockbuster earnings from chipmaker TSMC (NYSE:TSM), and a fresh round of US bank results due before the opening bell. Oil prices, meanwhile, moved sharply lower amid easing concerns around Iran.

Futures struggle for direction

Wall Street futures hovered close to flat as markets balanced geopolitical headlines against early signals from the earnings season.

At 02:47 ET, Dow futures were down 29 points, or 0.1%, while S&P 500 futures edged up 0.1% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.2%.

The mixed tone followed a weaker prior session on Wall Street, where technology stocks dragged indices lower and investors locked in profits after large bank earnings. US Treasuries found support, pushing yields lower across several maturities, helped by a softer-than-expected producer price index reading and the slide in crude oil.

Trump rules out immediate move against Powell

President Donald Trump told Reuters that he “doesn’t have any plan” to remove Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, despite the Justice Department opening a criminal investigation involving the central bank chief.

Trump added that it was “too early” to decide on next steps, saying the White House is currently in “a little bit of a holding pattern” and that “we’re going to determine what to do.”

Powell’s disclosure that he had received a DOJ subpoena has raised renewed questions about the Fed’s independence. Powell has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that the investigation is intended to influence monetary policy — an area where Trump has repeatedly pushed for faster and deeper interest rate cuts.

When asked whether undermining the Fed’s independence could weaken the dollar or stoke inflation, Trump responded bluntly: “I don’t care.”

Trump also suggested he would favour appointing one of “the two Kevins” — former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh or National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett — when Powell’s term ends in May. He appeared to dismiss Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as a potential successor, saying “he wants to stay where he is.”

TSMC delivers record Q4 on AI demand

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter, posting record profits as demand for advanced chips used in artificial intelligence applications continued to surge.

The world’s largest contract chipmaker also lifted its outlook for capital expenditure, signalling aggressive expansion plans to keep pace with AI-driven demand. TSMC now expects 2026 capital spending of between $52 billion and $56 billion, up sharply from $40.9 billion in 2025, CFO Wendell Huang said on the post-earnings call.

Huang cautioned that margins could come under pressure over the medium to long term as capacity is built out, particularly overseas. CEO C.C. Wei echoed this view, flagging “significantly higher” capital expenditure and operating costs in the years ahead.

Net profit for the three months to December 31 reached a record T$505.74 billion ($16 billion), comfortably above Bloomberg estimates of T$467.0 billion and well ahead of the T$374.68 billion recorded a year earlier.

Bank earnings remain in focus

Attention now turns to additional US bank earnings, with results from Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) due before markets open.

These releases will cap a busy week for Wall Street’s biggest lenders, following updates from JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. Investors view bank earnings as key indicators of economic momentum and corporate confidence at the start of 2026.

So far, bank executives have described the US economy as resilient, despite uncertainty linked to tariffs, persistent inflation and signs of cooling in the labour market. Combined full-year profits at JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo totalled $123.2 billion in 2025, up nearly 5% from 2024, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Oil prices slide as Iran fears ease

Oil prices fell sharply, snapping a five-day rally after Trump struck a more measured tone on Iran, easing concerns over near-term supply disruptions.

Brent crude dropped 3.5% to $64.20 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate fell 3.4% to $59.92. The pullback followed a surge of more than 10% over the previous five sessions, when prices hit multi-month highs on fears that unrest in Iran could trigger US military action and disrupt production or shipping routes.

Trump said on Wednesday that he had been told killings linked to Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests were subsiding and that he believed there was currently no plan for large-scale executions.

Taylor Wimpey (LSE:TW.) said on Thursday that it expects operating margins to face further pressure in 2026, citing a weaker opening order book and softer pricing on bulk home sales.

For 2025, the UK housebuilder now forecasts group operating profit of around £420 million, slightly below its previous guidance of £424 million. The operating margin is expected to decline to about 11%, down from 12.2% in 2024.

The company said that land disposals, supported by good progress on planning and consistent with its long-term strategy, delivered an estimated 60 basis point uplift to the group operating margin in 2025. However, this benefit is not expected to repeat in 2026, removing a key support to profitability.

Home completions for the year reached 11,229, compared with 10,593 in the prior year. Excluding joint ventures, completions totalled 10,614, placing output in the middle of management’s guidance range and ahead of the 9,972 homes delivered in 2024. The average selling price also rose year on year, increasing to £335,000 from £319,000.

Taylor Wimpey said housing demand has yet to show a broad-based recovery following a pre-budget slowdown, with uncertainty around property taxation, regulation and mortgage rates continuing to weigh on buyer confidence. Like other UK housebuilders, the group has been operating in a challenging environment characterised by lower margins and one-off costs.

Commenting on the outlook, Jennie Daly said: “The government’s planning reforms have been welcomed, and we’ve seen increased momentum in our recent planning permissions. However, while affordability is slowly improving, demand continues to be muted – particularly among the important first-time buyer category – which will constrain overall sector output.”

Despite the pressures, full-year revenue rose to approximately £3.8 billion, up from £3.4 billion in 2024, supported by higher completion volumes, improved average selling prices and land sales. Net finance costs for the year are expected to be around £30 million.

Schroders (LSE:SDR) said on Thursday that its full-year 2025 results are now expected to come in ahead of market forecasts, with adjusted operating profit projected at no less than £745 million, up from £603.1 million in 2024. The upgrade, driven by higher income and stable costs, sent the asset manager’s shares up by more than 8%.

The UK-based group said adjusted net operating income is expected to reach at least £2.58 billion, compared with £2.44 billion a year earlier. Management fees benefited in the fourth quarter from a more favourable assets under management mix, supported by strong intermediary net new business.

“Improved income also reflects higher performance fees and carried interest, and positive market returns, including on seed investments,” the company said in its trading update.

Adjusted operating expenses are expected to remain broadly unchanged year on year at around £1.83 billion. Schroders said this reflects continued cost discipline and progress on its transformation programme, adding that it “remain committed to our transformation target of £150 million annualised net savings by the end of 2027.” As a result, the adjusted operating cost-to-income ratio is expected to improve to about 71%, compared with 75% in 2024.

Group assets under management are estimated at approximately £825 billion, including joint ventures and associates, up from £778.7 billion a year earlier. Excluding joint ventures and associates, assets under management are expected to total around £730 billion, compared with £661.8 billion in 2024. Schroders said the increase reflects market appreciation, investment performance and positive net new business of around £11 billion.

Within the divisions, Public Markets generated net new business of roughly £3.9 billion, reflecting “significantly improved flows versus the prior year across both intermediary and institutional channels.” Schroders Capital recorded net new business of about £4.0 billion, rising to around £4.5 billion when including an initial £0.5 billion contribution from Future Growth Capital. Dry powder in the unit increased by around £0.5 billion year on year to approximately £4.7 billion.

Wealth Management delivered net new business of about £3.4 billion, equivalent to a net new business rate of roughly 2.7%. Schroders said this performance came against “a backdrop of continued macro-economic and policy uncertainty,” with Benchmark flows remaining subdued in the fourth quarter. Within Cazenove Capital, UK private client net new business stayed within the group’s 5% to 7% target range, while the charities segment saw negative net flows as strong inflows were offset by a small number of low-margin outflows.