The AM Brief, Thursday January 22, 2026 Part 3
Good morning,
It’s 2pm Miami and here is a weekly recap of events that caught my eye. Part 3:
Pending home sales fell 9% in December, the sharpest drop for that month since 2001 and the weakest level since April 2020. Homes lingered longer on the market, sales declined 3% year over year, and a widening imbalance shows 47% more sellers than buyers despite inventory remaining historically tight. At Davos, President Trump reiterated housing affordability goals and formalized a ban on institutional homebuyers.
The administration is investigating whether record stock buybacks by homebuilders are artificially inflating housing costs. FHFA Director Bill Pulte noted that while housing starts hit a five-year low of 1.25M, major firms like D.R. Horton and Lennar spent over $7B on repurchases in 2025. With median prices up to $405,400, officials are weighing "carrots and sticks," potentially linking federal mortgage support to increased supply and pricing discipline to curb "land hoarding."
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is wagering $3B that AI is a permanent shift rather than a bubble, committing a new $1.7B to its infrastructure fund this January. General Partner Martin Casado admits private valuations are "crazy" but insists underlying demand is real. The fund targets the software "backbone", foundation models, security, and developer tools, rather than data centers. Managing Partner Raghu Raghuram predicts infrastructure firms will become the most vital companies of 2026.
President Trump officially launched the "Board of Peace" at Davos this week, a transitional body chaired by him to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and security. Eight key Muslim majority nations, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar joined in a joint statement, alongside Israel. The board aims to replace UN oversight with a $1B "permanent seat" model, focusing on a 20 point plan for demilitarization and private sector led redevelopment.
Sources : Yahoo Finance,Reuters,Bloomberg,CNBC,Market Watch,Barron’s , Business Insider, X
Thank you for reading
Live your best life,
AL Maulini
Good morning,
It’s 2pm Miami and here is a weekly recap of events that caught my eye. Part 3:
Pending home sales fell 9% in December, the sharpest drop for that month since 2001 and the weakest level since April 2020. Homes lingered longer on the market, sales declined 3% year over year, and a widening imbalance shows 47% more sellers than buyers despite inventory remaining historically tight. At Davos, President Trump reiterated housing affordability goals and formalized a ban on institutional homebuyers.
The administration is investigating whether record stock buybacks by homebuilders are artificially inflating housing costs. FHFA Director Bill Pulte noted that while housing starts hit a five-year low of 1.25M, major firms like D.R. Horton and Lennar spent over $7B on repurchases in 2025. With median prices up to $405,400, officials are weighing "carrots and sticks," potentially linking federal mortgage support to increased supply and pricing discipline to curb "land hoarding."
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is wagering $3B that AI is a permanent shift rather than a bubble, committing a new $1.7B to its infrastructure fund this January. General Partner Martin Casado admits private valuations are "crazy" but insists underlying demand is real. The fund targets the software "backbone", foundation models, security, and developer tools, rather than data centers. Managing Partner Raghu Raghuram predicts infrastructure firms will become the most vital companies of 2026.
President Trump officially launched the "Board of Peace" at Davos this week, a transitional body chaired by him to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and security. Eight key Muslim majority nations, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar joined in a joint statement, alongside Israel. The board aims to replace UN oversight with a $1B "permanent seat" model, focusing on a 20 point plan for demilitarization and private sector led redevelopment.
Sources : Yahoo Finance,Reuters,Bloomberg,CNBC,Market Watch,Barron’s , Business Insider, X
Thank you for reading
Live your best life,
AL Maulini
