Meta, Tesla Rise After Earnings While Microsoft Slides in After-Hours Trading U.S. megacap tech stocks known as the “Magnificent Seven” got their first earnings results of the season, and the market reaction split sharply. Meta Platforms and Tesla rose in after-hours trading after reporting results, while Microsoft fell. On Tuesday, Microsoft closed up 0.22% on the New York Stock Exchange, Tesla gained 0.13% and Meta slipped 0.63%. After the earnings releases, the moves reversed. As of 7:58 a.m. in South Korea, Meta was up 8.39% after hours and Tesla was up 1.66%, while Microsoft was down 4.70%. Meta’s after-hours surge followed results that beat expectations and a strong revenue outlook. Meta said fourth-quarter (October-December) revenue rose 24% from a year earlier to $59.89 billion, topping the LSEG consensus estimate of $58.59 billion. Earnings per share came to $8.88, above the $8.23 estimate. Advertising revenue, which makes up most of Meta’s sales, rose 24% to $58.137 billion. For the full year, Meta reported revenue of $200.097 billion, up 22%. Meta also reaffirmed an aggressive investment push in artificial intelligence, supported by steady ad revenue. It projected 2026 capital expenditures of $115 billion to $135 billion, above the market estimate of $110.6 billion. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “In 2025, we delivered strong business performance,” and added that in 2026 the company aims to advance “personalized superintelligence for people around the world.” He said Meta will unveil its latest AI model in the coming months and will keep releasing new models throughout the year. Microsoft’s results also beat expectations, but after-hours trading reflected concerns about future growth and investment costs. Microsoft said fiscal 2025 second-quarter (October-December 2025) revenue rose 17% from a year earlier to $81.27 billion, above the LSEG estimate of $80.27 billion. EPS was $5.16, well ahead of the $3.92 estimate. Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood said, “Microsoft Cloud revenue exceeded $50 billion this quarter, reflecting strong demand for our portfolio of services,” adding that revenue, operating income and EPS all beat expectations. In its intelligent cloud segment, revenue rose 29% to $32.9 billion, topping the StreetAccount analyst estimate of $32.4 billion. Operating income increased 21% to $38.3 billion, and EPS was $4.14, above the $3.97 estimate. Even so, the stock fell about 5% after hours. The Wall Street Journal reported that investors pointed to data center and other capital spending of $37.5 billion, above market expectations, as a drag on the shares. Tesla also rose after hours after reporting fourth-quarter 2025 revenue of $24.9 billion and EPS of $0.50. Both topped the LSEG Wall Street consensus of $24.79 billion in revenue and $0.45 in EPS. Tesla also said it signed an agreement on Jan. 16 to invest $2 billion in Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI. “Tesla is building products and services that bring AI to the physical world,” the company said, adding that the xAI investment and term sheet are intended to strengthen Tesla’s ability to develop and deploy AI products and services at scale. Still, Tesla said revenue fell 3% from a year earlier and EPS declined 17%. Full-year revenue totaled $94.8 billion, down 3%, and automotive revenue was $69.5 billion, down 10%.  2026-01-29 08:03:00

Samsung Electronics Posts 333.6 Trillion Won in Annual Revenue as Memory Lifts Results Samsung Electronics said in a regulatory filing Thursday that its fourth-quarter consolidated revenue rose to 93.8374 trillion won and operating profit totaled 20.0737 trillion won. Operating profit surged 209.17% from a year earlier. For the year, revenue came to 333.6059 trillion won and operating profit reached 43.6011 trillion won. Samsung said results were driven by its Device Solutions (DS) division, citing expanded sales of high-margin products such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and rising memory prices. The company said it posted record quarterly revenue and operating profit. It also pointed to stronger sales of higher-value products, including server DDR5 and enterprise SSDs, alongside higher memory prices. In foundry, Samsung said it began ramping mass production of a first-generation 2-nanometer product and saw revenue rise on strong demand from customers in the United States and China, but profitability gains were limited due to provisions-related costs. The Device Experience (DX) division, which leads the mobile business, posted an 8% revenue decline from the third quarter as the boost from new smartphone launches faded. DS revenue, however, rose 33% from the prior quarter, helping lift overall results, the company said. Samsung said it spent 10.9 trillion won on research and development in the fourth quarter and a record 37.7 trillion won for all of 2025, continuing investment to secure future technologies.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 08:00:00

Fire at Seongnam Multifamily Home Kills 1; Another in Cardiac Arrest A fire at a multifamily home in Seongnam, south of Seoul, left one person dead and another in cardiac arrest, authorities said. Fire officials said the blaze broke out at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday at a four-story building in Sinheung-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, in Gyeonggi province. Firefighters extinguished the fire about two hours later, but a man in his 30s who lived on the third floor died. A man in his 40s from the fourth floor was taken to a hospital in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest, officials said. Some other residents suffered smoke inhalation but did not receive hospital treatment. Police and authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:57:00

Samsung Electronics Reports 333.6059 Trillion Won in 2025 Revenue, Up 23.82% * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:45:00

Samsung Electronics Reports 43.6 Trillion Won in 2025 Operating Profit, Up 33% * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:42:01

Samsung Electronics reports 4Q revenue of 93.84 trillion won, up 23.8% * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:42:00

Samsung Electronics Reports 20 Trillion Won in Q4 Operating Profit, Up 209% * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:39:16

Fire at Recycling Company in Incheon Extinguished; No Injuries Reported A fire at a recycling company in Gajwa-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, was extinguished in about an hour after breaking out at about 5:56 a.m. on the 9th. No injuries were reported. Fire authorities deployed about 30 pieces of equipment and about 80 personnel and finished putting out the blaze at about 7 a.m. Authorities are investigating the cause and the extent of the damage.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:39:00

Fed holds key rate at 3.50%-3.75%, says inflation remains elevated The Federal Reserve on Tuesday held its benchmark interest rate at 3.50% to 3.75%. The decision followed the central bank’s first scheduled Federal Open Market Committee meeting of the year, which ran for two days. The Fed had cut rates three straight times — in September, October and December — by 0.25 percentage point each, but paused that easing streak. The move was widely seen as a bid to slow the pace of policy changes as concerns persist that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plans could reignite inflation. In its statement, the Fed said recent indicators suggest economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace. It added that job gains remain low, the unemployment rate shows signs of stabilizing, and inflation “remains somewhat elevated.” Reiterating its goals of maximum employment and 2% inflation, the Fed said uncertainty about the economic outlook remains high and it is watching risks to both sides of its mandate. At a news conference after the decision, Chair Jerome Powell said newly released data and sentiment reflected in the Fed’s Beige Book suggest growth is starting the year on a solid footing. He said the U.S. growth outlook has “clearly improved” since the FOMC meeting in December. On the timing and pace of further rate cuts, Powell reaffirmed the stance he laid out when the Fed cut rates in December, saying the Fed is in a good position to respond to risks between its dual goals. Powell said there was broad support within the committee — including among nonvoting members — to hold rates. He added, “No one sees the next rate adjustment as a rate hike” as a baseline outlook, underscoring that the Fed is not considering an increase at this point. The decision was not unanimous. Of the 12 voting members, 10, including Powell, supported holding rates, while two — Gov. Stephen Miran and Gov. Christopher Waller — dissented in favor of a 0.25-point cut. Miran previously served as White House National Economic Council chair during the Trump administration, and Waller has been mentioned as one of four candidates Trump is considering for the next Fed chair. Their dissent was seen as aligned with Trump’s push for rate cuts. Gov. Michelle Bowman, also cited as a potential Fed chair candidate, voted to hold rates. The decision kept the interest-rate gap between South Korea and the United States at 1.25 percentage points based on the upper end of the U.S. range. South Korea’s benchmark rate is 2.50%. The Bank of Korea on Jan. 15 held its rate at 2.50% for a fifth straight meeting. Asked about the economic impact of tariff policy, Powell said the U.S. economy has held up “quite well” given major changes in trade policy. He cited that tariff levels were softened from initial announcements, there were no foreign retaliatory steps, and much of the tariff increases have not yet been passed on to consumer prices. On the recent surge in gold prices above $5,000 an ounce, Powell said the Fed monitors markets but does not react to specific asset-price moves. “There may be claims that we’ve lost credibility, but that’s not true,” he said. He added that expected inflation shows the Fed’s credibility is “exactly where it should be,” rejecting claims that worries about damage to the Fed’s independence drove the rise in gold. Asked why he issued an unusual statement related to a grand jury subpoena involving him, Powell said, “Please refer to the statement released on the 11th. I won’t add to it or repeat it.” He also said he had nothing to say on whether he complied with the subpoena. Powell also declined to say whether he would continue serving out the remainder of his term as a Fed governor after his chair term ends in May, saying he had nothing to discuss on that matter. Trump, speaking the day before in Iowa during an economic address, said he would announce Powell’s successor “soon” and said that under a new chair, “you’ll see rates come down a lot.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:30:00

South Korea’s Digital Asset Framework Bill Stalls Over Stablecoin, Exchange Rules The government and the ruling party are struggling to draft a second-phase virtual asset bill, with delays in submitting a government proposal. The Democratic Party of Korea has moved to prepare its own version, but has yet to produce a draft as disagreements persist over licensing conditions for won-denominated stablecoin issuers and limits on ownership stakes in virtual asset exchanges. Draft framework takes shape as parties discuss creating a virtual asset council The Democratic Party of Korea’s digital asset task force held its second closed-door meeting Tuesday at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul to work on the second-phase legislation. Members said they reached agreement on the law’s name and how to classify business categories, but remained divided on key issues. The bill’s stated purpose would be to promote the digital asset industry and protect investors. The working title was tentatively set as the “Digital Asset Framework Act.” The act would define eight categories of digital asset businesses. Of those, two to three categories seen as high-risk or requiring strong public trust would need authorization from financial regulators, while the rest could operate through registration. The draft would also create an interagency consultative body tentatively called the “Virtual Asset Council.” The Financial Services Commission chair would lead it, with members including a deputy governor of the Bank of Korea, a vice minister from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and a vice minister from the Ministry of Science and ICT. The council would be expected to handle matters such as licensing won stablecoin issuance and responding to infrastructure problems. The Bank of Korea had sought a committee that would require unanimous votes to approve agenda items, but that approach was not accepted. After the meeting, task force chair Lee Jeong-moon told reporters, “Since the Financial Services Commission consults with the Bank of Korea in the policy decision process, most lawmakers agreed it would be better to proceed with a consensus-based approach rather than a unanimity rule.” Key disputes remain; agreement reached only on minimum capital No agreement was reached Tuesday on requirements for issuing won-denominated stablecoins, a central issue. The Bank of Korea argues issuance should be allowed only for consortia in which banks hold a majority stake, saying banks should lead the market to support financial stability. The Financial Services Commission and the ruling party counter that such a rule could block technology companies from entering the market, leaving the sides sharply split. However, they agreed to set the minimum paid-in capital for won stablecoin issuers at 5 billion won. The level appears to be based on regulatory standards for electronic money businesses. The task force said it will prepare compromise proposals on unresolved items and continue talks. Task force member Rep. Lee Kang-il said, “There are sharp differences between the National Assembly and the government over bank-majority consortia, and a mediation proposal has been delivered to both sides.” He added, “We will make decisions in a direction that helps the overall national interest and encourages public participation.” The task force is also expected to keep discussing whether to limit the ownership stake of major shareholders in virtual asset exchanges. The issue had appeared likely to be excluded to speed legislation, but the task force has shifted to a more cautious stance. Members broadly agree with the intent of limiting major shareholders’ stakes, but differ on whether to include it in the initial bill or pass the law first and revise it later. The task force said it will consult the party’s policy committee before deciding. The task force plans to spend about one to two weeks coordinating around mediation proposals, aiming to finalize and introduce the bill before the Lunar New Year holiday. Even if the ruling party reaches agreement with the government, the bill would still need discussions with the opposition People Power Party at the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee, suggesting the process could remain difficult for some time.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 07:03:00