The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged at its first policy meeting of 2026, in line with expectations, as policymakers signaled confidence that inflation is gradually converging toward the 2% target. The main refinancing rate stayed at 2.15%, while the deposit rate remained at 2.0% and the marginal lending facility at 2.4%, confirming a pause after last year’s easing cycle.

The Bank of England held its Bank Rate at 3.75% at its February meeting, but the decision exposed deep divisions within the Monetary Policy Committee. The vote was narrowly split 5–4, with four policymakers supporting an immediate 25 basis point cut, underlining the increasingly delicate balance between easing inflation pressures and a fragile economic backdrop.

Gold and silver prices bounced back after a steep two-day selloff, but their recent behavior is challenging the idea that they are acting as stable stores of value. Instead, both metals are displaying volatility patterns more commonly associated with speculative or momentum-driven assets.

Oracle continues to pour resources into its cloud business, driven by strong demand for AI-related infrastructure and long-term enterprise contracts.

The Reserve Bank of Australia delivered its first interest rate increase since 2023, lifting the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85% at its opening policy meeting of 2026. The decision, which was unanimous and widely expected by markets, effectively reverses part of last year’s easing cycle and signals a renewed focus on inflation risks.

The financial market is going through an important transformation away from the economic model that characterized the past three decades.

The powerful bull run in precious metals met a sharp reckoning on Friday as both gold and silver suffered an abrupt and aggressive selloff.

Precious metals' strong rally comes to a halt.