Welcome to Markets Desk, here's what's moving your money right now.
Starbucks is showing real signs of a turnaround, and Morgan Stanley is taking notice. Analyst Brian Harbour lifted his price target on the coffee chain to one hundred sixteen dollars, citing fourth quarter results that showed average ticket size climbed five point two percent per U.S. visit. That's customers spending more each time they walk through the door — a meaningful signal for a brand that's been grinding through a rough patch.
Shifting to crypto, BTCPay Server is urging Bitcoin merchants to replace their hot wallets immediately after hackers exploited a vulnerability to steal an estimated one point six million dollars. The flaw was patched back in August, but BTCPay is warning that simply updating the software cannot revoke access already gained by attackers — meaning compromised wallets stay compromised regardless.
And in the NEAR Protocol ecosystem, governance just approved a significant deflationary move. The House of Stake passed proposal HSP-zero-two-nine, cutting the network's maximum annual token issuance rate from two point five percent down to one point six percent, phased in over twenty-four months. That's a deliberate supply tightening designed to reward long-term holders and reduce sell pressure on the token.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
