Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

The price of Brent crude oil fell to nearly $60 per barrel after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. shares hit a record high thanks to an upgraded forecast from Goldman Sachs and expectations of years of growth in demand for AI chips. In Hong Kong, Chinese AI startup MiniMax is preparing for an IPO at the upper end of the range, with a valuation of about $6.5 billion. These and other topics are covered in our review of key events as of the morning of January 5.

Morning headlines: Oil prices fall after Maduro's capture, TSMC record, and gold rally


The US is prepared to administer Venezuela until a "safe" transition of power in that country, US President Donald Trump said at a press conference on January 3 after the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Trump announced the US's intention to control Venezuela until power is transferred

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Netflix, Inc.

Paramount Skydance Corporation

Morning headlines: Fed slows down, China tightens silver exports, oil prices fall 

Oil States International, Inc.

Prices are also affected by tensions surrounding Venezuela and China's willingness to purchase more raw materials.


Oil prices rose by 2%. The market saw no progress in the negotiations between Trump and Zelensky.

Kazakhstan's oil sector has been stagnating for several years, partly due to the need to comply with OPEC+ quotas, which the country does not always strictly adhere to. In 2026, production will have to be restricted even further to compensate for past excesses. But can Kazakhstan use this as an incentive for development? Kirill Lysenko, an analyst for sovereign and regional ratings at Expert RA, answers this question.

Will Kazakhstan turn OPEC+ oil production restrictions into a driver for its economic development?

BP p.l.c.

BP Castrol K.K.

BP plans to use the money to reduce debt and pay dividends

The biggest sale of a business will bring BP $6 billion. Will it help the company's stock?

Novo Nordisk A/S

RTX Corporation

Rocket Lab Corporation

Alphabet Inc.

First Solar, Inc.

Maplebear Inc.

Daily review and forecast of events on the U.S. stock market from Mikhail Denislamov, Deputy Director of Freedom Capital Markets Research.

Morning in New York: macro statistics will set the trading vector

Brent crude oil Mark after two weeks of decline added more than 2% at the auction on December 22, reaching the level of $61.72 per barrel. WTI contracts also rose by 2% on Monday. This is how the market is reacting to reports about the strengthening of US President Donald Trump's blockade of oil exports from Venezuela: over the weekend, December 20-21, it became known that US troops boarded another tanker carrying Venezuelan oil and began pursuit of another, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-21/latest-oil-market-news-and-analysis-for-dec-22?srnd=phx-markets">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-gain-us-interception-venezuelan-oil-tanker-over-weekend-2025-12-22/">Reuters</a> and <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/venezuela-oil-industry-trump-maduro-regime-change-78325709?mod=RTA">Barrons</a> wrote.

Oil rises on reports of US pursuit of third oil tanker from Venezuela

Tesla, Inc.

Uber Technologies, Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

CoreWeave, Inc.

Morning in New York: time to weigh the risks

In which regions of the world should investors look out for flocks of "black" and "gray" swans?

What political events investors should watch out for in 2026

lululemon athletica inc.

In Europe, the ECB paused rate cuts, signaling confidence in the economy's resilience. The IPO market comes alive with the strong debut of medtech company Medline. New investor OpenAI could value it at $830 billion - more expensive than Elon Musk's SpaceX. The U.S. is increasing pressure on the commodities sector, forcing Lukoil to sell off foreign assets or accept external management amid sanctions. The main events from December 15 to 19 are in our review.

Highlights of the week: OpenAI's $830 billion valuation, ECB pause and Tesla records

Chevron Corporation

Exxon Mobil Corporation

Eni S.p.A.

TotalEnergies SE

Shell plc

In October 2025, the US imposed blocking sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil. This raised questions about the fate of their foreign assets, especially in the case of Lukoil, which is traditionally focused on international expansion. What scenarios and contenders for this company's foreign assets are currently being discussed?