{"id":58459,"date":"2026-02-13T10:08:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T14:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/pentagon-targets-chinese-tech-markets-rally-on-inflation-data-and-goldman-sachs-gc-resigns\/58459\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T10:08:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T14:08:39","slug":"pentagon-targets-chinese-tech-markets-rally-on-inflation-data-and-goldman-sachs-gc-resigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/pentagon-targets-chinese-tech-markets-rally-on-inflation-data-and-goldman-sachs-gc-resigns\/58459\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon Targets Chinese Tech, Markets Rally on Inflation Data, and Goldman Sachs GC Resigns"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pentagon Adds Tech Giants to China Military List:<\/strong> The <strong>Pentagon<\/strong> has added several major Chinese companies, including e-commerce giant <strong>Alibaba<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/BABA\">BABA<\/a>), search leader <strong>Baidu<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/BIDU\">BIDU<\/a>), and electric vehicle maker <strong>BYD<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/BYDDY\">BYDDY<\/a>), to a list of firms it alleges are aiding the Chinese military. In a related move, the <strong>Pentagon<\/strong> removed oil company <strong>CNOOC<\/strong> from the same list.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Markets Rally on Softer Inflation:<\/strong> U.S. stock futures turned positive and Treasury yields fell following the release of January&#39;s Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. The data showed a monthly rise in &quot;Supercore&quot; inflation to <strong>0.593%<\/strong>, but traders increased bets on <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong> rate cuts in 2026, with U.S. rate futures pricing in <strong>61 basis points<\/strong> of cuts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Goldman Sachs General Counsel Resigns:<\/strong> <strong>Goldman Sachs<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>) announced the resignation of its General Counsel, <strong>Kathy Ruemmler<\/strong>. CEO <strong>David Solomon<\/strong> stated he &quot;reluctantly accepted&quot; the resignation and expressed disappointment, while praising her as an &quot;extraordinary general counsel.&quot;<\/li>\n<li><strong>China-Ukraine Diplomatic Engagement:<\/strong> Chinese Foreign Minister <strong>Wang Yi<\/strong> met with his Ukrainian counterpart, stating that China sees Ukraine as a &quot;friend and partner.&quot; <strong>Wang<\/strong> affirmed that China will continue to play a &quot;constructive role&quot; in seeking a political resolution to the ongoing crisis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Pentagon Blacklists Major Chinese Firms<\/h2>\n<p>In a significant escalation of trade and technology tensions, the <strong>Pentagon<\/strong> has named several of China&#39;s most prominent companies as aiding the country&#39;s military. The updated list now includes tech behemoths <strong>Alibaba<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/BABA\">BABA<\/a>) and <strong>Baidu<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/BIDU\">BIDU<\/a>), automaker <strong>BYD<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/BYDDY\">BYDDY<\/a>), and shipping giant <strong>COSCO<\/strong>. The designation does not trigger immediate sanctions but serves as a warning to U.S. entities and could impact the companies&#39; ability to do business internationally.<\/p>\n<p>This move signals a continued hardline stance from Washington regarding companies it perceives as contributing to China&#39;s military-civil fusion strategy. In a contrasting development, state-owned oil and gas firm <strong>CNOOC<\/strong> was removed from the list.<\/p>\n<h2>Inflation Data Fuels Rate Cut Speculation<\/h2>\n<p>Financial markets reacted positively to the latest U.S. inflation report. The January CPI data prompted a rally in U.S. stock futures and a drop in Treasury yields, with the 10-year yield falling <strong>3.3 basis points<\/strong> to <strong>4.071%<\/strong>. The 2-year yield saw a more significant drop of <strong>5 basis points<\/strong> to <strong>3.418%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a notable monthly jump in the &quot;Supercore&quot; CPI to <strong>0.593%<\/strong> from a previous <strong>0.287%<\/strong>, traders intensified their bets on future monetary easing. The market is now pricing in a greater probability of multiple <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong> rate cuts this year, with some traders seeing a <strong>50% chance<\/strong> of a third cut. The U.S. Dollar Index fell following the data release.<\/p>\n<h2>Shakeup at Goldman Sachs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Goldman Sachs<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>) is facing a high-profile change in its legal leadership with the departure of General Counsel <strong>Kathy Ruemmler<\/strong>. CEO <strong>David Solomon<\/strong> expressed his disappointment with the decision but noted his respect for her choice to step down.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement to CNBC, <strong>Solomon<\/strong> praised <strong>Ruemmler&#39;s<\/strong> &quot;deep, deep expertise&quot; and her contributions as an &quot;extraordinary general counsel&quot; over the past six years. Separately, <strong>Solomon<\/strong> offered a bullish outlook for the firm, stating, &quot;We have a chance for the next couple of years to run at a higher base growth rate.&quot;<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical and Regulatory Briefs<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>China-Ukraine Talks:<\/strong> Chinese Foreign Minister <strong>Wang Yi<\/strong> held a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, emphasizing China&#39;s view of Ukraine as a partner. According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Beijing is committed to playing a constructive role in finding a political settlement to the conflict.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>EU-Google DMA Deadline:<\/strong> European Union regulators are set to conclude proceedings related to <strong>Google&#39;s<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>) compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) within the next six months. The proceedings are focused on ensuring fair competition and data access in the digital marketplace.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Pentagon Adds Tech Giants to China Military List: The Pentagon has added several major Chinese companies, including e-commerce 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