Trump Plans Day 1 Executive Orders | Supreme Court Upholds Tikok Ban | CFA 2 Low Pass Rate

January 17, 2025

Market Update

  • Bitcoin climbs above $104,000 ahead of Trump's upcoming inauguration.

  • Intel climbs 7% amid takeover speculation.

  • S&P 500 set for best week since November election.

  • China hits 5% GDP target but Trump tariffs threaten further growth.

  • Global investors are dumping Colombia bonds as petro risks mount.

  • Litecoin ETF draws near as Nasdaq files Form Key to SEC approval.

  • MicroStrategy may soon rival Amazon, and Alphabet in Common Shares.

Trump’s planning a flood of immigration executive orders on Day 1

Executive Orders: President-elect Trump plans to issue a large number of executive orders on immigration starting on Day 1.

Policy Resurrections: These orders will revive policies from his first term and undo Biden administration policies.

Congressional Support: Trump will need Congress to enact some of his more ambitious promises, such as large-scale deportations.

Border Security: The emphasis will be on closing the border to illegal crossings and deporting unauthorized immigrants, especially those who have committed crimes. [Learn more]

US Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok

Supreme Court Decision: The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal law that bans TikTok unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

National Security Concerns: The court ruled that the national security risks posed by TikTok's Chinese ties outweigh concerns about limiting free speech.

Impending Ban: The law will take effect on January 19, 2025, preventing new users from downloading TikTok and blocking updates for existing users.

Political Context: The decision comes amidst political debates, with former President Donald Trump advocating for a solution and the Biden administration signaling it won't enforce the law immediately. [Learn more]

CFA Level II Pass Rate Falls to 39%, the Lowest Since Pandemic

Pass Rate Decline: The pass rate for the CFA Level II exam in November 2024 dropped to 39%, the lowest since the pandemic.

Deferral Impact: Candidates who deferred their exams had a significantly lower pass rate of 26%, compared to 49% for first-time test-takers.

Historical Comparison: The current pass rate is below the 10-year average of 45%.

Global Participation: Over 13,500 candidates took the exam at 477 testing centers worldwide. [Learn more]

Trivia of the Day!

Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren't.

Generative AI Photo of the Day!

Credit: DALLE-3

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