Nigeria, Feb. 17 -- This report is from today's TNC's Daily Open, our international markets update. TNC Daily Open keeps investors informed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are.

U.S. consumers were less willing to spend in January, resulting in lower-than-expected retail sales for the month. Given how heavily the U.S. economy depends on consumer spending, this might impact gross domestic product.

In contrast, purse strings appear looser in the corporate sphere. According to reports, the first discussions are underway for a merger, including Intel, Broadcom, and TSMC, which may split the venerable American chipmaker.

Elon Musk was also making money. On February 10, the "special government employee" submitted a bid o...