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Hello Capitalists,
Here is everything you should be watching today:
Venezuela just made its first oil sale through the US
Precious metals rocket week continues
Oracle gets hit as investors sue over AI debt bonds
Verizon crashes, millions cut off for hours
Amazon loses millions in Saks 5th Ave bankruptcy
How a luxury name came crashing down
Today’s markets + assets:
✅ DOW: 49484.25 (⬆️ 0.70%)
✅ S&P: 6964.85 (⬆️ 0.56%)
✅ NASDAQ: 23650.30 (⬆️ 0.77%)
⚠️🔴CBOE VIX Volatility Index: 15.47 (⬇️ 7.64%)
🔴 Gold: $4620.30 (⬇️ 0.33%)
✅ Silver: 91.55 (⬆️ 0.20%)
✅ Bitcoin: $96,891 (⬆️ 2.70%)
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Trump seals massive Venezuela oil windfall for America
The Trump administration completed the first $500 million sale of Venezuelan oil under a post-Maduro agreement, with proceeds flowing into U.S.-controlled accounts as more transactions loom in the coming weeks.
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Historic deal brokered: President Trump arranged the transfer following Nicolás Maduro’s arrest as a narcoterrorist, enabling U.S. oversight of sanctioned oil sales for mutual benefit.
Massive reserves targeted: Venezuela’s over 300 billion barrels—nearly quadruple U.S. reserves—remain largely untapped due to past mismanagement and corruption by successive communist governments.
Production revival push: Trump’s team is facilitating investments by major U.S. oil companies to restore Venezuela’s dilapidated infrastructure and boost output.
Proceeds tightly controlled: Energy Secretary Chris Wright oversees deposits into Washington-managed accounts, with additional sales expected soon to expand the initiative.
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Metals explode to new records, Gold Silver and Copper all surge
Gold silver and copper all blasted to fresh all-time highs this week as an explosive rally gripped the metals market in early January 2026 driven by tariff fears geopolitical tensions and eroding trust in fiscal monetary stability.
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Record prices shattered: Gold neared $4,650 per ounce, silver topped $91 pushing its market value past $5 trillion for the first time, copper exceeded $6 per pound in the US.
Tariff threats ignite: Anticipated Trump administration import tariffs spurred accelerated US shipments squeezing global supply and fueling copper’s record climb.
Geopolitical drivers surge: US actions in Venezuela tensions with Iran and doubts over Federal Reserve independence amplified safe-haven and hedging demand across metals.
Analyst forecasts soar: Experts like UBS predict gold could reach $5,000-$5,400 soon Citi sees silver hitting $100 while warnings of potential corrections loom amid overbought signals.
Bondholders slam Oracle over hidden AI debt bombshell
Bondholders filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Oracle on Wednesday, alleging the company and executives including Larry Ellison misled investors by failing to disclose massive additional borrowing needs for AI infrastructure tied to a $300 billion OpenAI deal, triggering sharp bond price drops and investor losses.
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Massive debt surprise: Oracle issued $18 billion in bonds September 25, then sought $38 billion in loans just seven weeks later to fund AI data centers for OpenAI.
Alleged misleading claims: Offering documents vaguely stated Oracle “may” need more borrowing, but bondholders argue the company already planned heavy debt for AI expansion.
Key executives targeted: Lawsuit names Larry Ellison, ex-CEO Safra Catz, Chief Accounting Officer Maria Smith, and 16 underwriters as strictly liable under federal securities laws.
Swift market backlash: Bond prices fell and yields rose sharply as investors perceived heightened credit risk from Oracle’s undisclosed AI-related borrowing surge.
Verizon network crashes causing nationwide chaos
Verizon’s wireless network suffered a major outage on January 14, crippling voice, text, and data services for hundreds of thousands of U.S. customers, with phones stuck in SOS mode and reports peaking over 130,000 on Downdetector; the company resolved the hours-long disruption late that evening and promised account credits.
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Outage Spans Hours: The disruption lasted over six to ten hours starting around 12:30 p.m. ET, affecting calls, texts, data, and even Wi-Fi calling nationwide, with widespread East Coast and scattered West Coast impacts.
Downdetector Peaks High; User reports surged to more than 130,000 incidents by 1:11 p.m. ET and exceeded 1 million in 24 hours, far outpacing minor spikes for AT&T and T-Mobile.
Verizon Issues Credits; The carrier committed to $20 account credits for affected customers as compensation, with details sent directly via text or app, following public backlash and emergency service warnings.
Cause Remains Unclear; No official explanation emerged, though experts suggest software or configuration errors rather than a cyberattacks; this marks Verizon’s second major U.S. outage in recent years after a 2024 incident.
Amazon’s $475M stake in Saks is worthless after bankruptcy
Amazon declared its $475 million equity investment in Saks Global presumptively worthless Wednesday after the luxury retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Houston, accusing Saks of breaching their partnership deal and burning through hundreds of millions in cash within a year following its Neiman Marcus acquisition.
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Investment deemed worthless: Amazon’s $475 million stake from the 2024 Neiman Marcus deal, tied to a “Saks at Amazon” storefront and $900 million in guaranteed payments, now holds no value due to Saks’ rapid financial collapse.
Bankruptcy financing approved: A U.S. judge granted initial access to $400 million in debtor-in-possession funding from a $1.75 billion package, overruling Amazon’s objection despite threats of further court action.
Partnership breach alleged: Amazon claims Saks failed budgets, accumulated massive unpaid invoices to partners, and violated terms requiring product sales on Amazon’s platform in exchange for tech and logistics support.
Luxury retail merger falters: The 2024 $2.7 billion Neiman Marcus acquisition, backed by Amazon and others, led to unsustainable debt and cash burn, prompting Chapter 11 to avoid immediate liquidation and stabilize operations.
How a luxury merger crashed into a bankruptcy disaster
Saks Global, owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 14, 2026, barely a year after its debt-heavy $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus created unsustainable leverage, vendor payment crises and inventory shortages that spiraled into insolvency.
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Debt-Fueled Deal Backfires: $2.2 billion in junk bonds funded the 2024 Neiman Marcus purchase, leaving no buffer for operations and triggering immediate liquidity shortfalls.
Vendor Relations Collapse: Inability to pay suppliers promptly caused inventory gaps, especially disrupting 2024 holiday sales at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.
Synergies Fall Short: Promised $600 million in annual savings materialized only partially at $150 million by fiscal 2025, far below expectations amid integration hurdles.
Leadership Shakeup Announced: Richard Baker steps down as CEO, replaced by former Neiman Marcus chief Geoffroy van Raemdonck to lead restructuring with $1.75 billion in new financing.
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