Mahendra Jajoo, a seasoned expert in managing money in India, has taken on a new role as Executive Director at Quant Mutual Fund. This is a significant move in the Indian mutual fund industry. Jajoo brings with him decades of experience and a strong track record. He spent over 10 years at Mirae Asset Investment Managers India, where he led fixed income investments. Under his leadership, the company’s debt fund assets grew massively—from just ₹3.2 billion in 2016 to more than ₹320 billion by November 2023.

Quant Mutual Fund, one of India’s rising fund houses, currently manages around ₹968 billion (roughly $10.7 billion) across equity, debt, and hybrid schemes. The addition of Jajoo is expected to strengthen Quant’s investment team and help them expand further in the fixed income space.

Meanwhile, in global markets, U.S. stocks climbed higher on Monday. Investors showed strong interest in technology shares despite rising geopolitical tensions after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured. This surprising development raised concerns about global stability but didn’t stop the bullish sentiment in equities.

The Nasdaq 100 gained 0.8%, driven by big names like Amazon and Tesla. The S&P 500 followed with a 0.6% increase, and the Dow Jones hit a new record high, helped by gains in energy and financial stocks. Oil prices also moved up as traders reacted to the situation in Venezuela. Brent crude rose, and shares of energy giants like Chevron saw gains after President Trump hinted at restarting Venezuela’s oil industry under U.S. guidance.

Safe haven assets also saw a spike—gold jumped nearly 3% to above $4,400 an ounce, while silver went up by almost 5%. These moves suggest that while investors are still chasing growth, they are also being cautious amid uncertainty.

Adrian Helfert, Chief Investment Officer at Westwood, said that unless there are more major geopolitical shocks, the positive momentum in stock markets is likely to continue.

In Asia, tech stocks were also on the rise, with regional indices reaching all-time highs. U.S.-based Qualcomm announced plans to expand its chip business into personal computers, further fueling investor excitement around artificial intelligence (AI). Still, some investors worry that AI hype could be forming a bubble, but many remain optimistic about its long-term potential.

In bond markets, yields on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes fell to 4.16% after new data showed that U.S. manufacturing activity dropped significantly in December. Bitcoin and Ethereum both rose over 3%, reflecting continued interest in crypto assets.

Venezuelan bonds also saw gains. Investors are hopeful that with Maduro’s capture and possible changes in leadership, there could be a debt restructuring. Some defaulted bonds from the government and state oil company PDVSA have already more than doubled in value in recent months.

Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, called for cooperation with the U.S., signaling a possible shift toward friendlier relations.

Looking ahead, key U.S. economic reports will shape market direction this week. The job market report for December will be closely watched, along with data on job openings, housing starts, and consumer sentiment. These reports could influence future decisions by the Federal Reserve on interest rate cuts.

In corporate news:

– U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to meet with oil company leaders to discuss rebuilding Venezuela’s energy sector.
– Vistra Corp. is buying Cogentrix Energy for $4 billion. The deal includes 10 natural gas power plants with a combined capacity of 5.5 gigawatts.
– IPOs in 2025 didn’t perform well due to stock market swings and concerns over crypto and AI-related businesses.
– Saks Global Enterprises is considering filing for bankruptcy and may borrow up to $1 billion to keep operations going.

Here’s how key markets performed:

Stocks:
– S&P 500: +0.6%
– Nasdaq 100: +0.8%
– Dow Jones: +1.2%
– MSCI World Index: +0.8%

Currencies:
– U.S. Dollar Index: -0.1%
– Euro: flat at $1.1725
– British Pound: +0.6% to $1.3543
– Japanese Yen: +0.3% to 156.35 per dollar

Cryptocurrencies:
– Bitcoin: +3.2% to $94,153
– Ethereum: +3.1% to $3,240

Bonds:
– U.S. 10-year yield: down to 4.16%
– Germany 10-year yield: down to 2.87%
– UK 10-year yield: down to 4.51%

Commodities:
– WTI Crude Oil: +1.8% to $58.34 per barrel
– Gold: +2.6% to $4,446 per ounce

Investors will be watching closely as economic updates and geopolitical events continue to shape global markets in the days ahead.