1. USPS Suspends Acceptance of China Parcels
2. Google Stock Plunges Over 9%
3. Nissan Ends Merger Talks With Honda
4. Palantir Stock Soars 27%
5. Walmart to Lay Off Hundreds of Employees
6. AMD Stock Drops After Disappointing Revenue Forecast
7. China’s Lunar New Year Box Office Surpasses ¥9.5 Billion
1. USPS Suspends Acceptance of China Parcels
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has temporarily suspended acceptance of parcels from China and Hong Kong, affecting major e-commerce platforms such as Shein, Pinduoduo, and Temu.
The USPS decision has significantly impacted Asian stock markets, with Chinese e-commerce stocks plummeting. Nick Twidale, chief analyst at AT Global Markets, stated that the escalating U.S.-China trade war is creating increasing challenges for the market.
Today, Alibaba and JD.com stocks fell by 2% and 5%, respectively.
However, in recent years, many Chinese companies have reduced reliance on USPS services, so the overall impact of this suspension may be limited.
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2. Google Stock Plunges Over 9%
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported fourth-quarter revenue of $81.6 billion, falling short of analysts’ expectations of $82.8 billion.
For 2025, Alphabet expects capital expenditures of $75 billion, significantly exceeding analysts’ forecast of $57.9 billion.
In the quarter ending December 31, Google Cloud’s revenue reached $12 billion, also missing expectations and lagging behind Microsoft and Amazon in cloud computing growth.
Following the earnings report, Alphabet’s stock dropped 9% today.
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3. Nissan Ends Merger Talks With Honda
The Nikkei reported today that Nissan has decided to abandon its merger negotiations with Honda.
The two automakers were unable to reach a consensus after seven weeks of discussions, putting an end to what could have been a historic merger in the industry.
Earlier reports indicated that Honda was considering a full acquisition of Nissan, which reportedly displeased Nissan executives and intensified tensions between the two companies.
Following the announcement, Honda’s stock surged 8.2%, while Nissan’s stock dropped 4.9%.
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4. Palantir Stock Soars 27%
On Monday, Palantir Technologies provided a 2025 revenue outlook that significantly exceeded analysts’ expectations. CEO Alex Karp stated that the company sees limitless growth potential for its AI software.
Palantir expects 2025 revenue to reach $3.75 billion, with adjusted operating income of approximately $1.56 billion—both figures surpassing analyst projections.
Palantir primarily develops software for defense applications and recently launched a new AI platform. In 2024, Palantir’s stock skyrocketed by 340%.
After-hours trading saw Palantir’s stock surge 27% to a new high of $106.76.
Source: Bloomberg – Palantir Jumps Most in a Year As ‘Untamed’ Demand Bolsters Outlook
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5. Walmart to Lay Off Hundreds of Employees
Bloomberg reported that Walmart plans to cut jobs and relocate some employees from offices in Hoboken and other smaller locations to its main hubs in Arkansas and California.
Additionally, Walmart will shut down its office in Charlotte, resulting in hundreds of job cuts for corporate employees in the area.
Last year, Walmart required employees from Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto to relocate to Arkansas as part of a broader effort to consolidate its workforce.
The company stated that these measures aim to improve workforce efficiency and foster greater cross-departmental collaboration.
Source: Bloomberg – Walmart to Cut Hundreds of Jobs, Relocate Staff to Main Hubs
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6. AMD Stock Drops After Disappointing Revenue Forecast
Chipmaker AMD’s stock fell more than 8% in pre-market trading after the company issued a weaker-than-expected outlook for its data center revenue.
Despite surpassing expectations for overall Q4 revenue and offering a solid Q1 forecast, weak data center performance overshadowed other positive factors.
Investors are now concerned that AMD’s push into the AI chip market may be slowing down. Additionally, China’s DeepSeek AI has demonstrated strong performance with relatively low-cost AI solutions, which could put pressure on AMD’s profitability.
In Q4, AMD’s data center revenue grew 69% year-over-year to $3.86 billion but still missed expectations.
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7. China’s Lunar New Year Box Office Surpasses ¥9.5 Billion
According to data from ticketing platform Maoyan, China’s Lunar New Year box office reached ¥13 billion ($1.3 billion), signaling the success of consumer stimulus measures.
Maoyan reported that this year’s ¥9.48 billion in ticket sales was 18% higher than last year’s.
Top-grossing films included Ne Zha 2, which earned ¥4.84 billion, and Detective Chinatown 1900, which brought in ¥2.27 billion.
Daniel Manwaring, CEO of IMAX China, stated that demand for high-quality entertainment in China has reached record levels, with younger audiences willing to pay premium prices for an immersive cinema experience.
Last year, China’s Lunar New Year box office plunged 23% to ¥4.25 billion, marking the third-lowest level in a decade.
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This report contains information sourced from Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Real Deal, and other financial news media.