The US government has set a series of strict conditions for Venezuela’s interim leadership, including the expulsion of forces linked to Iran and Cuba, combating drug trafficking, and restricting oil sales to Washington’s rivals. According to Politico, these conditions could affect the lifting of sanctions and the future of Venezuela’s oil industry, and may even limit global supplies of heavy crude. The US has also called for steps toward free elections, although no specific deadlines have been announced, and officials say Washington’s current aim is to assess the new leader’s intentions.

Asian stock markets rose broadly to reach a new record, led by Chinese technology shares, as investors searched for more attractive valuations compared with the US market. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 1.1 percent, while markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Japan posted notable advances. Elsewhere, silver rallied sharply and gold edged higher, while the dollar weakened and US Treasury yields moved up.

Morgan Stanley believes the US stock market still has room to rise through 2026, despite late cycle concerns. The bank cites six underpriced drivers, including strong earnings growth, easier monetary policy, deregulation, and productivity gains from artificial intelligence, as factors supporting the ongoing uptrend. Based on this outlook, Morgan Stanley has set a 2026 target of 7800 for the S&P 500 index.

According to informed sources in the OPEC+ alliance, the group is close to officially approving a halt to oil production increases in March. This decision is expected to be ratified at today’s online meeting chaired by Saudi Arabia and Russia. This decision, which was made in November citing seasonal declines in oil consumption, has been confirmed in previous monthly meetings. This decision comes as concerns about a possible US military attack on Iran (an OPEC member) have driven oil prices to their highest level in four months. However, OPEC+ usually acts cautiously in the face of geopolitical tensions, waiting for actual supply disruptions.