Breaking News Today – Monday 26 January 2026

Business News Today 

Big Week of Market Data ahead

The final week of January is anticipated to be a pivotal one for the global economy, featuring major earnings results, monetary policy decisions, and data releases from the largest players. The Federal Reserve will have its first policy decision of the year amid increasingly contrasting takes by FOMC members on the appropriate rate path. Other central bank announcements this week include: Bank of Canada – January 28, 2026, Bank of Brazil (Copom) – Likely mid-week, Riksbank (Sweden) – January 29, 2026, and Sweden’s central bank will release its rate decision. The Bank of Japan (BoJ) – will release Meeting Minutes.

Meanwhile, results by Apple, Meta, and Microsoft will unveil fresh signals on AI demand and datacenter investment, with major companies in software, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy also hosting calls. US data will be headlined by durable goods orders and the PPI. Global corporations such as Toyota Motor Corp. – Often reports around late January; results could signal auto demand and yen impacts.Samsung Electronics (South Korea) – Preliminary or full Q4 results may drop, providing early reads on chip/memory demand amid AI hype. Nestlé (Switzerland) results could also drop this week making the week ahead a busy one for investors.

Gold – New Price Peak Today- How High Will It Rise?

Gold prices rose more than 1.7% to above $5,070 an ounce this morning, extending its record-breaking rally as safe-haven demand strengthened amid global uncertainties. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sunday that Ottawa has no plans to pursue a free trade deal with China, noting the recent agreement only reduces tariffs on select sectors. Carney’s remarks came a day after President Trump threatened to slap 100% tariffs on Canadian imports if it solidifies a trade deal with Beijing. Frictions between the US and Europe over Greenland, as well as tensions in the Middle East, also kept investors on edge.

Traders are now awaiting the Federal Reserve’s meeting this week, where the central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady. Underpinning the gold price growth, is a continuing trend of central banks buying gold to support currency stability pushing gold up over 85% in the last year. Global central banks added over 1,000 metric tons of gold in 2025 with a strong finish of purchasing in 2025, gold has already gained around 17.4% so far this year. Analysist are pointing to the potential of a $6000 gold price by year-end.

South Africa on Track for Third Surplus Year Despite Aging Tax Base

In an op-ed published in Business Day this morning, former National Treasury official Duncan Pieterse highlighted that South Africa’s 2026 budget will deliver a third consecutive primary surplus, putting debt stabilisation on track. This marks a significant shift after years of fiscal strain, with plans for efficiency savings (e.g., tackling ghost workers and early retirements). The development boosts investor confidence amid global volatility, supporting the rand’s resilience and positioning SA as a standout emerging market. Analysts note this could pave the way for credit rating upgrades and lower borrowing costs, though political will remains key to sustaining reforms. Pieterse highlighted ongoing efficiency measures (such as addressing ghost workers and early retirements) to sustain fiscal progress.

The current financial position, despite it being driven predominantly by a commodity super-cycle, has been framed as a positive milestone after years of challenges. Pieterse also emphasised the need for continued political commitment to reforms. There have also been reports regarding recent SARS data releases, releases,which reveals a growing fiscal risk: South Africa’s tax base is increasingly reliant on ageing individuals, as youth unemployment hollows out future revenues. With fewer young taxpayers entering the formal economy, long-term sustainability concerns are rising despite current fiscal surpluses.

Breaking News Shorts:  

• Apple is planning to announce a new version of Siri in the second half of February. Using Google’s Gemini AI models, this Siri update will reportedly be the first to live up to the commitment made by Apple in June 2024, with the ability to complete tasks by accessing user’s personal data and on-screen content. The release is ahead of an even bigger upgrade that Apple plans to announce in June, at its Worldwide Developers Conference
• The latest model of ChatGPT has according to several reports, begun to cite Elon Musk’s Grokipedia as a source on a wide range of queries. Grokipedia, launched in October 2025, is an AI-generated online encyclopaedia that aims to compete with Wikipedia.
• Nickel futures climbed to around $18,900 per tonne, reaching its highest level in nineteen months, on optimism that Indonesia will slow the pace of production growth. Jakarta confirmed that 2026 ore production quotas will fall about 34%, to 250–260 million wet tons from 379 million in 2025.
• Copper futures held around $5.95 per pound this morning after rallying nearly 3% in the previous session, underpinned by the dollar’s weakness which lifted demand for base and precious metals. A softer dollar makes commodities priced in greenbacks, including copper, gold, and silver, more affordable for buyers using other currencies. 
• Silver jumped more than 4.6% to above $107 per ounce today, extending a historic rally to all-time highs on strong safe-haven and investment demand, as well as a prolonged tightness in the physical market. Rising prices have spurred robust retail demand in key markets such as China and India, with investors increasingly turning to 1-kilogram silver bars.

Markets by Numbers 

Currency markets indicate the US dollar trading losing traction today, with the Euro trading against the US dollar at 1.18629 while the Pound is trading at 1.36640 to the US dollar. The Yen is currently trading at 153.96 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently trading at around R16.08 to the dollar.

Commodities:  

• Gold futures have climbed by 1.48% this morning hitting a fresh high above $5070 earlier, and currently trading at around $5063.00 per ounce.  
• Copper prices are trending higher today, with prices currently around $59.412 per pound
• Silver futures are trending over 4% upwards, and currently trading around $107.716 per ounce.
• Platinum futures have surged by over 4%% this morning, and currently trading at $2854.60, While Palladium prices have climbed by over 3% this morning, and currently trading around $2105.00 per ounce.
• Brent crude oil prices are trending higher today, and currently at $65.40 with WTI trading higher at $61.12
• Cocoa futures are trending lower today, and currently trading around $4211 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are currently trending flat today, and trading at around $3.5144 per pound

Crypto Currencies: 

• Bitcoin prices are trending upwards this morning, and trading at around $87742 per coin currently 
• Ether prices are trending higher, and are currently trading around $2862.33
• $Trumpcoin are trending lower today, and currently trading around $4.834

(All prices quoted at approximately 07H30 Central African Time) 

Africa News Briefs:

• Catastrophic flooding has occurred across Mozambique, affecting more than 640,000 people, according to authorities, with more than half of those in Gaza province.The provincial capital Xai-Xai is reportedly submerged and fears of hunger and disease are mounting. Local authorities are coordinating with the country’s relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGD), to ensure aid reaches those in need. 
• Uganda’s opposition leader Bobi Wine said this past Saturday, that his wife had been taken to hospital after soldiers invaded their residence and choked her. Wine, a pop star-turned-politician, was not at the property and is in hiding after he escaped a previous raid on his home last week. There have been ongoing allegations of attacks on opposition party members as well as election fraud allegations from the presidential elections that took place on 15 January where Wine was the runner-up.