Daily Market Report – January 30, 2026

Markets: Fed Chair Nomination as a Guiding Factor - Silver and Gold Plunge Massively

At the end of the week, a politically monetary impulse was at the forefront of the financial markets: US President Donald Trump has nominated former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the central bank (Powell's term ends in May). Investors deduce that Warsh may push for interest rate cuts less aggressively than other candidates for the top position. The dollar reacted accordingly stronger, while interest-sensitive engagements came under pressure. Classic "risk-on" components slipped. Gold, silver, and Bitcoin significantly declined. The silver price temporarily plummeted over 30%, while gold lost over 10% on today's trading day.

Tesla TSLA: Tesla is forecasting investments of over $20 billion for 2026 – including for "Cybercab" autonomy, the Optimus robot, battery capacities, and lithium. Additionally, the models S and X are to be discontinued; the freed-up factory capacities will be increasingly shifted towards robotics. Additional speculation was provided by a Bloomberg report suggesting that SpaceX (SPCX) is considering some form of merger with Tesla or at least a closer collaboration with xAI. The stock market was satisfied with the prospect of a possible reorganization in the Musk cosmos: Tesla rose by more than 5%.

The South Korean memory manufacturer SK hynix 000660 is massively benefiting from the AI upgrade cycle. Investors are betting on a sharp increase in earnings, driven by high demand for High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI data centers. As an important supplier to Microsoft, SK hynix is particularly in focus. Advanced memory chips, noticeable pricing power, and ongoing shortages in the memory segment further supported the quotes.

KLA KLAC has exceeded investor expectations, yet the stock is significantly declining today – also as a reflex to the already enormous price increase of recent times and a cautious outlook. Additionally, there is the structural risk that Chinese customers may increasingly shop locally, which would dampen demand for Western equipment in the medium term.

Verizon VZ was among the clear winners: robust net additions in the postpaid business, a constructive outlook, and a comprehensive stock buyback program provided tailwind. AppLovin APP, on the other hand, came under significant pressure. Short-sellers targeted the highly valued stock; additionally, reputational issues arising from an SEC investigation are weighing on it.

Following the "personnel bombshell" regarding Warsh, the market is focused on two points: first, how quickly the Senate will approve the nomination – and how Warsh interprets and communicates the independence of the Fed; second, whether the earnings season will continue to justify the AI investment wave or whether investors – as with Microsoft MSFT – will weigh "growth against costs" more stringently again. The ongoing season thus intensifies a currently rarely pronounced spread within the mega-caps: billions for AI infrastructure are accepted – but only if the growth path and monetization remain recognizable at the same time.