5 Things to Watch on
January 16, 2026

Markets are up in premarket trading, supported by upbeat bank earnings and continued strength in tech, helping offset lingering policy uncertainty. Treasury yields were mixed, reflecting balanced positioning as investors digest earnings momentum and shifting macro headlines.

Amazon (AMZN) urged a federal judge to reject Saks Global’s bankruptcy financing plan, arguing the retailer burned through hundreds of millions of dollars and failed to meet obligations tied to AMZN’s $475M investment. AMZN said its equity stake is now effectively worthless and warned the proposed financing would push it further down the creditor repayment order. The dispute follows Saks’ Chapter 11 filing after its $2.7B acquisition of Neiman Marcus, with the judge allowing interim access to new financing while AMZN’s objections remain under review.

Micron Technology (MU) is up more than +5.0% in premarket trading after director Teyin Liu disclosed a significant open-market purchase of company stock. The roughly $7.8M buy involved more than 23,000 shares and lifted Liu’s direct ownership to nearly 26,000 shares. The move added to bullish sentiment around MU as it navigates strong demand trends and a constructive industry backdrop.

McDonald’s (MCD) is mounting its boldest effort yet to win Vietnam, shifting from a niche, aspirational brand toward everyday relevance. After years of trailing local and regional rivals, the chain is expanding beyond major cities and reframing its menu and positioning around value and accessibility. Building on its early buzz as a modern Western arrival, MCD now sees Vietnam as a long-term growth market ready for scale.

OpenAI said it warned investors and banking partners that Elon Musk is likely to make “outlandish” public claims as his lawsuit against the company heads to trial in April. The AI lab said it is confident in its legal position and believes the case is worth no more than the $38M Musk donated, despite OpenAI’s $500B valuation. The dispute stems from Musk’s allegations that OpenAI improperly shifted from its nonprofit roots toward a for-profit structure after he left the board in 2018.