Friday 30 January 2026
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: Oil prices increase by 4 per cent due to Middle East tensions
Business and markets: Microsoft shares lose over $357 billion in value
Foreign Affairs: Iran to hold live-fire military drills in Strait of Hormuz
Security and intelligence: Russia tightens defence spending
Domestic politics: UK and China call for “strategic partnership”
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 10,171.76 (up 0.17%)
S&P 500 = 6,969.01 (down 0.13%)
Nasdaq = 23,685.12 (down 0.72%)
Stoxx 600 = 607.14 (down 0.23%)
£1 = $1.38 / €1.15
Lab / Con / Reform = 17 / 17 / 29 per cent (Find Out Now, 28 January)
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: Oil prices increased by 4 per cent during trading yesterday to a five-month high. Brent crude futures reached $70 per barrel. It follows ongoing tensions in Iran and the broader Middle East.
Business and markets: Shares in Microsoft fell by 10 per cent yesterday. Investors are concerned about Microsoft’s spending plans after it spent $37.5 billion last quarter but saw its cloud-computing sales grow by less than expected.
Other tech shares have also fallen, with shares in Oracle falling by over 50 per cent since September 2025.
Foreign Affairs: Iran has said that it will hold live-fire military drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Monday. The naval exercises could disrupt shipping in the area. Around 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes through the Strait.
Security and intelligence: Growth in Russia’s defence industry is set to fall dramatically to around 4 to 5 per cent this year. The figure in previous years has been closer to 30 per cent.
There are suggestions that high public borrowing in recent years means that Russia is now focusing on balancing the budget over higher defence spending.
Domestic politics: The UK Prime Minister and President Xi of China have called for a “strategic partnership” between the UK and China. It comes during Prime Minister Starmer’s three-day visit to China, which has seen visa-free travel announced for British visitors and a cut in whisky tariffs from 10 to 5 per cent.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
Assisted dying bill debate continues in UK House of Lords
Eurozone GDP data (Q4 2025) – set to fall from 1.4% to 1.2%
Company results from: ExxonMobil, Chevron, Nomura, Verizon, Colgate-Palmolive
Lookahead to the weekend
Saturday
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visits Japan
Australian Open (tennis) Women’s Final
Sunday
OPEC+ monthly meeting (virtual)
Australian Open (tennis) Men’s Final
Grammy Awards ceremony, Los Angeles, California
Annual Clown Service, All Saints Church, Hackney, London
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Light rain across the UK, with some drier spells possible in the northwest of England. High of 11C and low of 6C in London.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emmerson, American writer
Mighty takeaway: Who have you decided to be?
That’s it for this Friday morning and for this week. We hope that you enjoy the weekend!
Adios!
The Mighty Memo team
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