①Trump nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve; ②Trump: The deadline for reaching an agreement has been communicated to Iran; ③The suspect in the shooting of a senior executive at UnitedHealth will not face the death penalty; ④Guterres: The United Nations is facing financial collapse, and funds may be depleted before July.
Overnight stock market
The three major U.S. stock indices closed collectively lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.36%, but up 1.73% for January; the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.94%, but gained 0.95% for January; and the S&P 500 Index declined 0.43%, but rose 1.37% for January. Gold and silver stocks plummeted significantly, with the world’s largest silver ETF—iShares Silver Trust—dropping 28%. Most popular Chinese concept stocks fell, with the Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index declining 2.36%, but still gaining 2.69% for January.
Commodity Market
International oil prices fell on the 30th. The price of light sweet crude oil futures for March delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange dropped by 21 cents, closing at $65.21 per barrel, a decline of 0.32%; while the price of Brent crude oil futures for March delivery on the London market decreased by 2 cents, settling at $70.69 per barrel, marking a fall of 0.03%.
Due to market concerns over Wash’s hawkish stance, profit-taking pressure in precious metals surged, causing gold and silver prices to collapse sharply. Spot silver plunged as much as 36% during the session, while spot gold fell over 12% at its peak.
Spot gold ultimately closed down 9.52% at $4,865 per ounce. Spot silver ended 26.9% lower at $84.7 per ounce. Gold and silver still registered gains of 12% and 18%, respectively, for January. Spot platinum plummeted 17.59%, accumulating a rise of 1.65% for January. Spot palladium slumped 14.89%, with an increase of 4.66% for the month.
Market News
[Trump: Final Deadline for Agreement Communicated to Iran]
U.S. President Trump stated on the 30th that Iran wishes to reach an agreement with the United States, and he has informed Iran of the final deadline for reaching an agreement. Trump made this remark while signing an executive order at the White House and responding to media questions. When asked whether there was a final deadline for an agreement, Trump said he had communicated with the Iranian side but did not disclose a specific date, stating, “Only they know.”
[Israeli Officials Provide U.S. with Intelligence on Iran’s Missile Program]
Earlier this week, Major General Shlomi Binder, head of Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence Directorate, during his visit to Washington, provided the U.S. with intelligence information held by Israel, including details about Iran resuming its ballistic missile program. It is reported that Israel expects President Trump to try various negotiation methods before ordering an attack on Iran.
[Iran’s Supreme Leader Advisor: Enemy Combat Plans Understood, Strikes Will Be Launched at Appropriate Time]
On January 30 local time, Ali Shamkhani, political advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, stated that the absolute priority now is to be fully prepared to contain any threats. He noted that any move indicating hostile intent from adversaries will be met with proportionate, effective, and deterrent responses. Such reciprocal actions include “deep strikes against the Zionist entity.” Shamkhani added that Iran does not limit the geographical scope of confrontation to maritime areas and has prepared for broader and more complex scenarios. Shamkhani also mentioned that Iran has grasped the enemy’s combat plans and will launch strikes at an appropriate time to thwart their schemes.
[Cuba Declares International State of Emergency Due to US Threats]
Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez announced that Cuba has entered an international state of emergency due to threats from the United States. Rodriguez stated that, with the solidarity of the international community, the Cuban people have determined that actions by the US government constitute an extraordinary and exceptional threat. This threat is entirely or primarily rooted in the new fascist far-right forces within the United States that are anti-Cuba, endangering national security and foreign policy of all nations, jeopardizing international peace and security, and posing a challenge to human survival regarding nuclear threats and climate change. Therefore, Cuba has declared an international state of emergency in response to this threat.
[US Department of Justice Releases Over 3 Million Pages of Epstein Case-Related Documents]
The US Department of Justice continued to release investigative materials related to the case of the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Deputy Attorney General Todd Branch stated at a press conference that the DOJ disclosed over 3 million additional pages of related documents on the same day, including approximately 2,000 video clips and 180,000 images, all connected to the Epstein case. Branch noted that this disclosure was made in accordance with the requirements of the Epstein Archive Transparency Act. The act officially took effect on November 19 last year, mandating that the DOJ release all documents related to Epstein within 30 days.
[Trump Nominates Former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as Next Federal Reserve Chair]
Trump nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to serve as the next Federal Reserve Chair. This nomination still requires Senate approval. Trump stated, “There is no doubt that Warsh will go down in history as one of the greatest chairs of the Federal Reserve, and he will never disappoint you.” Born in 1970, Warsh is the youngest among the top candidates for the position of Fed Chair. He graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor degree respectively. He served as Vice President and Executive Director of Morgan Stanley’s Mergers and Acquisitions department. From 2002 to 2006, he worked as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Executive Secretary of the National Economic Council under President George Bush, while also being a member of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets. At the age of 35, Warsh became the youngest Federal Reserve Governor in history and served as a member of the Federal Reserve System’s Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011.
[SpaceX Revenue Reportedly Approximately $15-16 Billion Last Year]
According to reports, SpaceX generated revenue of approximately $15-16 billion last year, with Starlink accounting for 50% to 80% of SpaceX’s total revenue. SpaceX plans to raise $50 billion in its June IPO. The company’s conservative valuation target is $1.5 trillion.
[Blue Origin Suspends New Shepard Suborbital Flight Missions]
Blue Origin, the American aerospace company, announced on January 30 local time that it would suspend suborbital flight missions of its New Shepard vehicle for a period of no less than two years to redirect relevant resources toward accelerating the development of its manned lunar flight capabilities.
Suspect in UnitedHealth Executive Shooting Will Not Face Death Penalty
A federal judge in New York dismissed the charges applicable to the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson. The charges included murder and weapons-related offenses, meaning that the death penalty is no longer an option for sentencing in this case.
[WHO Reports Nipah Virus Infection in India]
The World Health Organization (WHO) website published a bulletin on the 30th, providing an update on the recent Nipah virus infections in India. The bulletin stated that Indian authorities reported two laboratory-confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection in West Bengal to the WHO on the 26th. No additional cases have been identified.
[Guterres: UN Faces Imminent Fiscal Collapse, Funds May Be Depleted by July]
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that due to the accumulation of unpaid dues, the UN’s funds may be depleted by July, leaving the global institution facing an ‘imminent fiscal collapse.’
[IAEA: Ongoing Russia-Ukraine Conflict Poses Persistent Threat to Global Nuclear Safety]
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi stated on January 30 at a board meeting that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has become the most significant factor affecting global nuclear safety. Grossi noted that the IAEA has deployed on-site task forces to all nuclear power plants in Ukraine affected by the conflict to continuously monitor and report on nuclear safety and security conditions. He emphasized that stable and reliable off-site power supply is essential for the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Currently, expert teams are conducting on-site assessments of ten critical substations. Grossi called on all parties to avoid damaging nuclear facilities and power systems, strictly adhere to nuclear safety principles to prevent nuclear accidents, and stressed that ending the conflict is the fundamental way to ensure nuclear safety.
