The S&P 500 notched a record closing high and its fifth straight day of gains with a mixed reception to the latest earnings reports and a steep selloff in health insurers countering optimism ahead of megacap reports.
The euro strengthened to $1.20 for the first time since mid-2021 on Tuesday, driven by an investor retreat from the U.S. dollar that has gathered pace since the start of this year.
The U.S. dollar is coming under fire again in the first few turbulent weeks of 2026 as a growing range of factors — including Washington’s desire for a weaker currency — prompts a rethink of investors’ optimistic assumptions for a period of stability for the greenback.
Gold prices marched to record levels above $5,100 to start the week, as investors sought a safe haven amid international political tension, and silver and platinum also scaled all-time highs.
Tether, issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, added about 27 metric tons of gold to its fund exposure in the fourth quarter of 2025, broadly unchanged from its third-quarter purchases estimated by analysts at 26 tons.
US-based spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have extended their outflow streak to five days as crypto market sentiment continues to wane. Spot Bitcoin ETFs posted $103.5 million in net outflows on Friday, continuing an outflow streak that began the previous Friday and reached a total of $1.72 billion
