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Trump Confirms Microsoft-TikTok Talks

The fate of TikTok in the US stands another chance as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is reportedly in talks to acquire the social media platform. While Microsoft has not officially commented, US President Donald Trump confirmed the discussions, hinting at the possibility of a high-stakes bidding war.

This is not the first time Microsoft has pursued TikTok. In 2020, under Trump’s first term, the company attempted to acquire the US operations of the app following an executive order mandating its separation from ByteDance. The deal ultimately fell apart as the administration’s divestment push lost momentum before Trump left office.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella later described the experience as “the strangest thing I’ve ever worked on,” citing shifting governmental demands.

You can read more on the matter here.

What’s going on?

• Bob Menendez, Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison, Now Wants to Be Trump’s Friend (theDeepDive)

• Plane and army helicopter crash in Washington, no survivors expected (Globe)

• Gold Rush to US Puts Squeeze on Bank of England (theDeepDive)

• ECB warns of ‘headwinds’ to Eurozone economy as it cuts rate to 2.75% (FT)

• NDP’s Jagmeet Singh Wants To Boost “Insufficient EI” As Trump Tariffs Loom (theDeepDive)

• Global energy transition investment exceeded $2 trillion last year, report shows (Reuters)

• Court Halts Trump’s Trillion-Dollar Spending Pause (theDeepDive)

• Trump pledges to deport non-citizen college students who took part in pro-Palestinian protests (CBC)

• X Goes Fintech: Visa Partners With Elon Musk’s App To Launch XMoney (theDeepDive)

• Trump lashes out at Biden, DEI efforts after D.C. plane crash (CNBC)

• Steel Suppliers Stop US Sales as Trump Threatens 25% Tariff (theDeepDive)

• US economy grew at 2.3% rate in fourth quarter (FT)

• Did DeepSeek Steal Data from OpenAI? (theDeepDive)

What’s the latest?

• Walmart: Walmart Canada will invest $6.5 billion over five years, its largest investment in 30 years, to open dozens of new stores. Confirmed locations include new stores in Port Credit and Oakville in 2024, and three more in Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray by 2027. A new distribution center in Vaughan, Ontario, is set to open in 2025. Walmart Canada is also selling its fleet service to Canada Cartage, with no job losses expected as workers transition to the new employer.

• Plane Crash: A midair collision near Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport between an American Airlines regional jet (Bombardier CRJ700) and an Army Black Hawk helicopter killed all 67 people on board, making it the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001. Officials have not yet determined the cause, and a full investigation could take over a year. The crash highlights ongoing concerns about congested U.S. airspace, with airline executives pushing for modernization of air traffic control systems and increased staffing.

• IBM: IBM surged 14% on Thursday, marking its best day since July 2000, after reporting strong Q4 earnings driven by AI growth. The company posted adjusted earnings of $3.92 per share on $17.55 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations. Its software unit grew 10% year-over-year, with $5 billion in generative AI bookings and strong demand for Red Hat Linux. IBM shares are up 18% year-to-date.

• Home Sales: Pending home sales dropped 5.5% in December from the prior month and 5% year-over-year, reaching their lowest level since August. The decline followed four months of gains and coincided with mortgage rates rising from 6.68% to 7.14% during the month. Sales fell across all regions, with the West (-8.1%) and Northeast (-10.3%) hit hardest due to high home prices. Despite rising inventory, homebuying demand remains weak, with mortgage applications down 7% year-over-year and homes sitting on the market for 54 days on average—the slowest pace in five years.

• Microsoft: Microsoft shares fell over 6% after issuing weaker-than-expected revenue guidance for the current quarter, forecasting $67.7B–$68.7B versus Wall Street's $69.78B estimate. Fiscal Q2 earnings topped expectations at $3.23 per share on $69.63B in revenue, but Azure cloud growth slowed to 31% from 33% in the prior quarter. Despite the drop, analysts remain bullish on Microsoft's AI potential, with its DeepSeek R1 model now available on GitHub and Azure AI Foundry. Meanwhile, Meta (+4%), IBM (+14%), and Tesla saw gains following earnings reports.

BoC LOWERS Rates 25 Basis Points

The stock market and stuff

• NexGen Energy Sees CNSC Accept Final Environmental Impact Statement (theDeepDive)

• Amazon CEO declines to meet with federal government over Quebec warehouse closures (Globe)

• Rogers Reports Annual Income Doubles to $1.73B, Yet 2025 Guidance Signals Growth Slowdown (theDeepDive)

• Blackstone turns to Canada’s wealthy to broaden BXPE’s reach (BNN)

• NexGen Begins 43,000 Metre Drill Program Focused On 2024 Discovery (theDeepDive)

In the juniors

• Snowline Gold Hits 466 Metres Of 1.12 g/t Gold At Valley (theDeepDive)

• Goliath Resources Secures $10 Million Investment From McEwen Mining (theDeepDive)

• Santacruz Silver Sees 2024 Production Remain Flat Year Over Year At 18.7 Million Silver Equivalent Ounces (theDeepDive)

FULL DISCLOSURE: Golden Cariboo Resources is a client of Canacom Group, the parent company of The Deep Dive. Canacom Group is long the equity of Golden Cariboo Resources. The author has been compensated to cover Golden Cariboo Resources on The Deep Dive, with The Deep Dive having full editorial control. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security.