Stock Market Update
January 8, 2026
UPGRADES
The U.S. government is considering investing in a company’s critical minerals mining projects in Greenland, its CEO has told CNBC, ahead of high-stakes talks between Washington and Danish officials over the island’s future.
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The projects are run by mining company Amaroq, which operates in South Greenland and is involved in extracting or exploring gold, copper, germanium and gallium, among other critical mineral deposits.
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Discussions with U.S. government bodies about the potential investment opportunities are ongoing and haven’t been finalized, Amaroq CEO Eldur Olafsson told CNBC in an interview.
Deals could involve “offtake agreements, infrastructure support and credit lines,”
Olafsson added, though he declined to comment on what specific projects the U.S. government was interested in.
DOWNGRADES
Prices of used vehicles are expected to rise this year but at a historically stable rate, according to auto data and insights firm Cox Automotive.
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Cox on Thursday forecast that wholesale prices on its Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index will end this year 2% higher than December 2025. The index tracks prices of used vehicles sold at its U.S. wholesale auctions.
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This year’s increase would compare with 0.4% increases during each of the past two years following declines of 7% and nearly 15% in 2023 and 2022, respectively, from inflated prices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Used vehicle prices during that time increased at historically high rates of 46.6% in 2021 and 14.2% in 2020.
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The overall stability in pricing is a win for potential car buyers. However, used vehicle prices are still higher than they were before the pandemic. Retail prices for consumers traditionally follow changes in wholesale prices, but they have not fallen as quickly as wholesale prices in recent years.
NEWS
The 2026 tax filing season starts on Jan. 26, which marks the first day the IRS will accept and process individual tax returns for 2025, the agency announced on Thursday.
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Most taxpayers must file federal returns and pay taxes owed by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest. Many also must file state tax returns.
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“The Internal Revenue Service is ready to help taxpayers meet their tax filing and payment obligations during the 2026 filing season,” IRS CEO Frank Bisignano said in a news release.
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“IRS information systems have been updated to incorporate the new tax laws and are ready to efficiently and effectively process taxpayer returns during the filing season,” he said.