Business

Rio Tinto and Glencore have confirmed renewed merger talks after negotiations collapsed just over a year ago; a combined Rio Tinto ($142 billion) and Glencore ($65 billion) would surpass current leader BHP ($161 billion).

Mega investors own about 2–3% of U.S. single-family rental homes overall, but they control much larger shares in several Sun Belt markets including Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, Charlotte and Tampa.

December's payrolls rose by 50,000 and the unemployment rate was 4.4%; analysts point to the Beveridge curve, a falling job vacancy rate (about 4.6%) and a negative jobs‑workers gap as signs that unemployment could rise if conditions worsen.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan told RTHK that higher stamp duty receipts from a buoyant Hong Kong stock market could bring the government's operating account back to surplus in 2026/27, and he is preparing the 2026/27 budget address, which Sing Tao reported will be on Feb. 25.

Nestlé has recalled infant formula after tests detected the toxin cereulide in an ingredient, and the company says no babies have been reported ill and affected factories have been cleaned and restarted.

Defense contractors are consulting lawyers after President Trump signed an executive order tying buybacks, dividends and executive pay to weapons delivery schedules. The order prompted market moves and raised questions about enforceability.

State auditors found Maryland overpaid $807.4 million in unemployment benefits tied to the COVID-19 period and concluded up to $760.7 million was not timely pursued for recovery as of May 2025.

A Minnesota Star Tribune report named the ICE agent involved in a Minneapolis shooting as Jonathan Ross; federal agencies have not publicly confirmed the identity.

Stellantis said it will phase out plug-in hybrid versions of the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler Pacifica in North America beginning with the 2026 model year, citing weaker demand, quality issues and changes to fuel-economy requirements.

The article reviews QQQ, SCHG, and SCHD and reports their 2025 results and costs: QQQ returned 20.8% in 2025 with a 0.20% expense ratio; SCHG returned 17.5% with a 0.04% expense ratio; SCHD returned 4.3% with a 0.06% expense ratio and a 3.8% dividend yield.

Johnson & Johnson announced a voluntary agreement with the U.S. government to expand access to medicines and secure a tariff exemption for its pharmaceutical products; the company also outlined new U.S. manufacturing facilities as part of a broader investment to support domestic production.

Apple's board waived its guideline barring re-election after age 75 so Chair Art Levinson, 75, and audit committee chair Ron Sugar, 77, may stand for re-election, the company said in a filing; the board cited their expertise and experience and noted both are long-serving directors.

The WNBA Players Association said the league used delaying tactics as the 2020 collective bargaining agreement expired, and the union says it has not received a counteroffer to a proposal sent more than two weeks earlier.

ExxonMobil said it is exploring a return to Venezuela nearly 20 years after its assets were seized and that security guarantees and a technical assessment would be needed; the report also says Chevron plans an immediate production increase.

President Trump met U.S. oil executives on Jan. 9 and urged them to invest at least $100 billion to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure; some company leaders warned they need legal, financial and security guarantees before returning.

Meta signed agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra to secure nuclear power for its AI data centers, aiming for some new reactors as early as 2030–2032 while purchases from existing plants begin later this year.

Global defense stocks rallied after U.S. President Donald Trump called for a $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, and several major defense firms posted mid-single-digit gains across U.S., European and Asian markets.

The article lists three dividend aristocrat companies that it reports have analysts' favorable ratings and dividend payout ratios of at least 40%.

The core PCE inflation gauge rose 2.4%, above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said inflation remains too high and that the Fed must be focused on reducing it.

President Trump posted on Truth Social that he would impose a one-year 10% cap on credit card interest starting January 20, 2026; the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

ADP reported private payrolls rose by 41,000 in December, below the Dow Jones consensus of 48,000; gains were concentrated in services, led by education and health and leisure and hospitality.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Jan. 9 and said Alberta will submit a pipeline proposal earlier than planned to Ottawa's Major Projects Office while asking for an accelerated federal approval process amid events in Venezuela.

President Trump said he is taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes and will ask Congress to codify the change; it is unclear whether the administration can implement such a ban without congressional approval.

The DNC sent warning letters to election officials in 10 states saying proposed memoranda with the Justice Department could violate the National Voter Registration Act; the White House has defended DOJ authority over voter rolls.

Rocket Companies, Inc. is a Detroit-based firm offering mortgage, real estate and personal finance services across the U.S. and Canada; it operates two segments, Direct to Consumer and Partner Network, and provides brands such as Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Homes, Rocket Loans and Rocket Money.

X filed a federal antitrust suit in Texas alleging music publishers and the N.M.P.A. pressured it into blanket licensing deals; the publishers have a separate 2023 copyright suit against X that remains pending.

President Donald Trump will host representatives from 17 oil companies at the White House to discuss investment to restore Venezuela's oil infrastructure. Energy, Interior, and State secretaries are reported to attend a meeting set for 2:30 p.m. ET.

U.S. forces boarded and seized the Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean, officials said, and the U.S. Coast Guard will take possession under U.S. and international law.

President Trump posted a Truth Social chart that matched unreleased December private‑sector job figures; a White House official called the disclosure "inadvertent" and said the administration is reviewing protocols.

Amazon has proposed a one-story, 229,000-square-foot retail center in Orland Park, Illinois, and the Orland Park Plan Commission approved the plan; the village board is scheduled to vote on Jan. 19.