Breaking News Today – Wednesday 14 January 2026

Business News Today 

Palladium Prices Surge to two Week High

Palladium futures advanced to around $1,950 per ounce, rebounding after a broad sell-off to reach a two-week high and closing in on record high levels, as precious metals remained supported despite a firmer dollar and softer-than-expected US inflation data. Expectations for a potential rate cut were reinforced after the US core Consumer Price Index rose 2.6% year-on-year in December, below analysts’ forecast of 2.7%. Softer inflation readings, along with broader market uncertainty, have bolstered safe-haven demand for precious metals.

Concerns continue to persist over Russian palladium, as the US Department of Commerce launched anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations, estimating a preliminary dumping margin of roughly 828% for unworked material. Case filings indicate that preliminary determinations were expected between late December 2025 and early January 2026, with final rulings slated for later in 2026, leaving the market exposed to potential supply constraints. Platinum futures also surged past $2,440 an ounce, moving back toward record levels after a small adjustment yesterday. 

Consumer Watchdog Warns of AI Price Gouging Risks

Googles newly announced Universal Commerce Protocol for AI-powered shopping agents, has come under fire from a consumer economics watchdog who has sounded the alarm on the new AI shopping Tech. Lindsay Owens, from Groundwork Collaborative, posted on X “Big/bad news for consumers. Google is out today with an announcement of how they plan to integrate shopping into their AI offerings including search and Gemini”. “The plan includes ‘personalised upselling.’ I.e. Analyzing your chat data and using it to overcharge you.” Owens warned that AI was now entering the next phase of consumer surveillance pricing where AI users would have their data scrutinised and pricing set per individual. the process would see Google working with some of the biggest names in retail to swap data & train their algorithm into what Owens calls a “price gouging behemoth”.

The risks for consumers are severe. By merging search history, conversational AI, and retailer data, Google’s new ‘Universal Commerce Protocol’ could create the ultimate surveillance pricing squeeze. There has been a growing trend from online retailers offering the same item at varying prices based on consumers’ spending patterns. Groundwork Collaborative has uncovered various of these irregularities previously. However Google responded that, “These claims around pricing are inaccurate. We strictly prohibit merchants from showing prices on Google that are higher than what is reflected on their site, period.

Cocoa Futures Slide

Cocoa futures have plunged over 11% in January with a drop of over -4% today alone to near $5,200 per tonne, the lowest since late November 2025, reflecting some profit-taking and repositioning by agents who had been betting on flows associated with the return of cocoa futures contracts in the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) starting on January 8. The inclusion was set to trigger approximately 30,000–40,000 lots of index-related purchases through January 14. In the meantime, market participants turned their attention to next week’s Q4 grind data for Europe, the US and Asia, which is expected to show that demand remains weak.

On the supply side, expectations remain of a partial recovery in global supply largely due to improving weather in the key producing region of West Africa. Farmers in top grower Ivory Coast reported that recent unusual rainfall have increased the productive potential of the trees for the months of February and March, a crucial phase for the final performance of the campaign, which runs from October to March.

Breaking News Shorts:  

• The Shanghai Composite rose 0.9% to above 4,170, while the Shenzhen Component gained 1.7% to 14,400 today, reversing losses from the prior session and moving back toward multi-year highs. The rebound was supported by surging trading volumes across mainland exchanges at the start of the year,
• AI voice generation company Deepgram has raised $130 million in a Series C round led by AVP at a $1.3 billion valuation.The round also saw existing investors such as Alkeon, In-Q-Tel, invest further with, new investors like Alumni Ventures, Princeville Capital, Twilio, and SAP joined the round. The company has raised over $215 million in funding to date.
• Anthropic has announced a new tool called Cowork, designed as a more accessible version of Claude Code. Built into the Claude Desktop app. Coworkis a simpler way for anyone, not only developers, to work with Claude. Cowork is available currently as a research preview to Claude Max subscribers 
• India’s BSE Sensex fell 208 points, or 0.2%, to 83,419 in morning trade today, down for the second straight session and hitting its lowest level since November 7, due to ongoing foreign outflows and high oil prices raising concerns about the impact on domestic inflation.
• Gold prices climbed above $4,630 per ounce in trade this morning, notching a fresh all-time record high mark. The price was supported by growing bets on US rate cuts and increased safe-haven demand. December’s data pointed to a moderation in underlying US inflation supporting the potential easing of price pressures in the US.

Markets by Numbers 

Currency markets indicate the US stronger today, with the Euro trading against the US dollar at 1.16427 while the Pound is trading at 1.34376 to the US dollar. The Yen is currently trading at 159.28 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) has strengthened further today and currently trading at around R16.36 to the dollar.

Commodities:  

• Gold futures are currently up over 1.2% this morning, hitting new highs, and currently selling at around $4638.35 per ounce.  
• Copper prices are trending upwards today to above $60 per pound, with prices currently around $60.655 per pound
• Silver futures have surged to new highs today, and currently trading around $91023 per ounce.
• Platinum futures are up by over 3% this morning, and currently trading at $2438.0, While Palladium prices have climbed by over 1.7% this morning, and currently trading around $1946.50 per ounce.
• Brent crude oil prices are trending lower today, and currently at $65.23 with WTI trading at $60.90
• Cocoa futures are trending -4% lower today, and currently trading around $5224.00 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are currently 1.2% lower today, and trading at around $3.6055 per pound

Crypto Currencies: 

• Bitcoin prices are trending -0.35% lower this morning, and trading at around $9500 per coin currently 
• Ether prices are trending 0.3% higher today, and are currently trading around $3339.90
• $Trumpcoin are trending fairly flat today, and currently trading around $5.726

(All prices quoted at approximately 07H50 Central African Time) 

Africa News Briefs:

• Pretty Nozipho Makukule has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), effective February 1, 2026. Pretty brings over 25 years of finance experience, starting her career in banking before moving into the public sector across all three spheres of government. Her qualifications include being a Chartered Accountant (CA (SA)), ACMA, CGMA, an MBA, and a member of the Institute of Directors (M.Inst.D)
• Nigeria’s statistics authority says it will revise its inflation reporting methodology after data due next week is expected to show an artificial spike in December inflation, officials and economists said. The expected jump comes from a technical quirk in how price data are weighted late in the year — a factor that could temporarily push headline inflation to more than double October levels.