Inflation Cools as AI Fears Shake Markets

Markets closed out the week balancing cooler inflation against renewed volatility in tech and AI.

U.S. CPI rose 2.4% year-over-year in January, with core inflation falling to 2.5% — the lowest level since March 2021. While the report strengthens the case for potential Fed rate cuts, it follows a robust labor market update earlier in the week, keeping policy expectations finely balanced.

Equities struggled, with the Nasdaq dropping 2% amid fresh AI disruption fears despite Anthropic raising $30 billion at a $380 billion valuation. Meanwhile, China posted a record $242 billion current account surplus in Q4 2025, highlighting export resilience despite weak domestic demand.

Oil slipped on reports that OPEC+ may resume production increases in April. Gold rebounded after briefly falling below $5,000 per ounce. The yen is on track for its strongest week in a year versus the dollar.

In crypto, Bitcoin remains stable week-over-week. Coinbase shares rose despite a Q4 earnings miss, even as reports surfaced that CEO Brian Armstrong has sold roughly $500 million in stock over the past nine months. Several crypto CEOs, including leaders from Ripple, Gemini, Uniswap, and Chainlink, have joined the CFTC advisory group.

A volatile week wraps with inflation cooling — but crosscurrents in AI, geopolitics, and liquidity remain firmly in play.

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