**__ Diplomatt’s Daily Digest – January 31, 2022__**
Good morning and happy Monday, everyone! Stock futures were mixed in early morning trading on Monday as investors braced for the final trading day in what could be the worst month for the S&P 500 since March 2020. This move came ahead of a big week for economic data and some important earnings reports from some of the market’s biggest tech names. Last week, the Fed indicated that it is likely to raise interest rates for the first time in more than three years to combat historically high inflation. Markets are now pricing in five quarter-percentage-point interest rate hikes in 2022. January has turned out to be a dismal month for stocks. The S&P 500 is headed for its worst month since the pandemic-spurred market turmoil in March 2020 as investors worry about inflation, supply chain issues, and the upcoming rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.

Quote of the week: „Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.“ – Chris Grosser

**General News:**
• Russia further boosted troop numbers near the border with Ukraine over the weekend, with the Kremlin continuing to deny an invasion is planned. The United Nations is scheduled to debate the crisis later today, while U.S. senators are close to agreeing on a sanctions bill that could target Russia even if no invasion takes place.
• Economists expect the Bank of England to hike interest rates consecutively for the first time since 2004 as the central bank looks to steer the U.K. economy through persistent high inflation.
• North Korea has confirmed they have tested their most powerful nuclear-capable missile to date.
• Global sports betting and gaming company Entain announced it is launching Ennovate, an innovation lab aimed at developing immersive sports and entertainment experiences in the metaverse.
• Audio streaming giant Spotify announced it would add content advisories to any material mentioning Covid-19 and direct its users to public health sites for more information.
• ByteDance, the Chinese internet company that owns TikTok, eliminated a global team in its human resources department in December.
• T-Mobile is set to terminate corporate employees who aren’t vaccinated by April.
• Kia recalls more than 410,000 vehicles because of concerns about airbags that may not deploy in a crash. The recall includes certain 2017 Kia Forte Koups, 2017-2018 Kia Fortes, 2017-2019 Kia Sedonas, 2017-2019 Kia Souls, and 2017-2019 Kia Soul EVs.

**StockTwits Top 10 Trending Tickers of the Day:**
1. BB
2. KSCP
3. SPOT
4. GOOGL
5. AMC
6. TIMERR
7. AKTR
8. CNHI
9. LHX
10. OTIS