Mexico’s Consumer Confidence Index fell 0.6 points month-on-month to 44.0 in January 2026, the lowest reading since December 2022. The sub-index for the current economic situation of the country declined 0.5 points to 38.8, while expectations for the economy in 12 months also dropped 0.5 points to 43.9. Households’ current ability to purchase durable goods slipped 0.4 points to 30.5. Meanwhile, the assessment of the current household economic situation fell 0.9 points but remained above the optimism threshold at 50.3, while expectations for household finances in 12 months eased 0.7 points to 56.6. On an annual basis, consumer confidence was down 2.7 points.

Bitcoin rebounded above $65,000 from the two-year low of $60,000 earlier on Friday, as investors took advantage of cheaper prices following the plunge across cryptocurrencies in early February. Bitcoin remained around 30% lower year-to-date, trading at around half the value since its record high four months prior as a deterioration in its narrative was magnified by a selloff in a wide range of speculative assets. The higher share of Bitcoin in institutional portfolios made it more vulnerable to derisking, which recently dominated trades following higher volatility and margin requirements in precious and base metal derivatives. Other portions of the market also tie the decline in cryptocurrency holdings by retail traders on the broader range of substitutes for speculative trading, including leveraged ETFs with exposure to AI companies, zero-day options for equities, and the rise of betting markets.

US equity futures rebounded on Friday after steep losses in the previous session, as concerns over AI-driven disruption eased. S&P 500 futures rose 0.6%, Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.8%, and Dow Jones futures gained nearly 180 points, following declines of more than 1% on Thursday. AI-linked stocks led the recovery in premarket trading, with Nvidia up 3.4%, Broadcom gaining 3.2%, AMD rising 3.9%, and Micron Technology climbing 4%. Crypto-related stocks also traded higher as digital assets recovered, with Coinbase jumping 6.1%. Meta added 0.2%, Tesla rose 2.2%, and Qualcomm gained 0.7%. In contrast, Amazon shares slid nearly 8% in premarket trading after the company announced plans to invest $200 billion in AI infrastructure this year, a pace of spending that outstripped growth in its cloud revenue. Apple (-0.7%) and Alphabet (-0.3%) also traded lower. For the first week of February, the S&P 500 is down about 2%, the Nasdaq has fallen roughly 4%, while the Dow Jones is little changed.

The FAO Food Price Index slipped 0.4% to 123.9 points in January 2026, marking a fifth consecutive monthly decline and a fresh low level since August 2024. Sugar prices declined 1%, driven by expectations of increased global sugar supplies in the current season, largely underpinned by a significant production rebound anticipated in India and favourable prospects in Thailand. Also, dairy cost tumbled 5%, the seventh consecutive monthly decline, driven largely by lower world cheese and butter prices. Meat declined 0.4%, the lowest since May 2025, mainly reflecting lower pig meat prices, while quotations for bovine and ovine meats remained broadly stable. In contrast, cereal costs edged up 0.2%, reaching the highest since May 2025. Barley prices increased modestly and rice was up 1.8%, reflecting firmed demand while wheat prices declined 0.4%. Oil prices also jumped 2.1%, amid higher world prices of palm, soy and sunflower oils, which more than offset lower rapeseed oil quotations.

The Halifax House Price Index showed UK house prices rose 1% year-on-year in January 2026, accelerating from an upwardly revised 0.4% gain in December, marking the largest increase in three months. The average UK home surpassed £300,000 for the first time, reaching £300,077. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.7%, more than the expected 0.1% growth, and reversing a 0.5% fall in December. Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages at Halifax, said the market entered 2026 on a steady footing, with the monthly rise reflecting resilience despite affordability challenges. Stronger wage growth and more mortgage deals below 4% are supporting buyers, and Halifax expects prices to edge up 1%–3% in 2026. Regionally, Northern Ireland led growth at 5.9%, followed by Scotland (5.4%) and the North West (2.1%). Southern regions, including London, the South East, South West, and Eastern England, saw annual declines of over 1%, reflecting higher borrowing costs and affordability pressures.

Silver rose more than 4% to above $74 per ounce on Friday after plunging nearly 10% earlier in the session, with volatility surging to levels last seen in 1980. Price swings in the metal have been far more extreme than in gold, reflecting silver’s smaller market size, thinner liquidity, and heavy speculative positioning. Still, silver is on track for a second consecutive weekly decline and remains about 40% below its Jan. 29 peak. Silver and other precious metals had rallied to record highs in January on heightened geopolitical risks, economic uncertainty, and concerns over the US Federal Reserve’s independence that boosted safe-haven demand. Speculative buying, particularly from Chinese traders, added froth to the rally, leaving prices vulnerable to a sharp reversal as sentiment turned. Pressure on precious metals intensified further after a sharp rebound in the dollar following the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, widely seen as the more hawkish choice.