Key Points Premiums for Medicare Part B and portions of Part A are increasing. Medicare is becoming more restrictive on the telehealth services it covers. More procedures will need preauthorization before Medicare covers them. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Every new year brings several changes to key government programs. Whether it's Social Security, Supplem...
Key Points Premiums for Medicare Part B and portions of Part A are increasing. Medicare is becoming more restrictive on the telehealth services it covers. More procedures will need preauthorization before Medicare covers them. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Every new year brings several changes to key government programs. Whether it's Social Security, Supplemental Security Income(SSI), Medicaid, or Medicare, there's no shortage of information to stay updated. In some cases, these changes work out in people's favor (like Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment). Unfortunately, in other cases, it's a change people would have rather done without. Beginning in 2026, a few Medicare changes are likely to fall into the latter category. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Medicare recipients will pay more out-of-pocket Paying into the Medicare system doesn't guarantee free health insurance in retirement; it comes with deductibles and premiums like standard health insurance. Unfortunately, both are going up this year. The deductible for Part A (hospital insurance) is increasing by $60 to $1,736, and the deductible for Part B (medical insurance) is increasing by $26 to $283. This means Medicare beneficiaries will be responsible for more costs before the insurance kicks in. Part A is premium-free for people who worked at least 10 years (40 quarters), or have a spouse who did. People with 30 to 39 quarters of work will have a $311 premium, a $26 increase from 2025. People with less than 30 quarters of work will have a $565 premium, a $47 increase from 2025. The premium for Part B is increasing by $17.90 to $202.90. If you're single and earn over $109,000, or married and filing jointly and earn over $218,000, you could be subjected to the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) surcharge. It applies to Part B and Part D premiums a...
WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) is one of the Best Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now. Wall Street is bullish on the stock, with all 13 analysts covering the stock having a Buy rating. On January 18, Jeff Chung from Citi reiterated a Buy rating on WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) with a $15.3 price target. Earlier, on January 14, the company announced the launch of the WeRide Go Robotaxi service as a Mini Pr...
WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) is one of the Best Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now. Wall Street is bullish on the stock, with all 13 analysts covering the stock having a Buy rating. On January 18, Jeff Chung from Citi reiterated a Buy rating on WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) with a $15.3 price target. Earlier, on January 14, the company announced the launch of the WeRide Go Robotaxi service as a Mini Program within WeChat. Management noted that WeChat is owned by Tencent with more than 1 billion users in China. As a result of this launch, users would be able to book fully driverless Robotaxi rides directly in WeChat by searching for “WeRide Go.” This allows the user to skip the need for a separate app download. The service is currently available in Guangzhou’s Huangpu district, Beijing’s Yizhuang district, and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. Management noted that this is an important step towards the company’s goal of tens of thousands of Robotaxis by 2030. WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) provides autonomous driving products and solutions for mobility, logistics, and sanitation industries in the People’s Republic of China. While we acknowledge the potential of WRD as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) is one of the Best Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now. On January 26, Jiong Shao from Barclays reiterated a Hold rating on the stock and raised the price target from $100 to $147. Earlier on January 7, Freedom Capital reiterated a Buy rating on Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) and raised the price target from $120 to $160. Analysts at Freedom Capital noted that the company’s...
Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) is one of the Best Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now. On January 26, Jiong Shao from Barclays reiterated a Hold rating on the stock and raised the price target from $100 to $147. Earlier on January 7, Freedom Capital reiterated a Buy rating on Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) and raised the price target from $120 to $160. Analysts at Freedom Capital noted that the company’s ongoing transformation had required higher expenditures. However, now the investments have started to yield positive results amidst strong competition for its core business. The firm noted that the company might continue to face pressure on margins as it works on its strategic initiatives. Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash That said, Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) is set to release its fiscal Q4 2025 results on February 26. Wall Street expects the company to post revenue around $4.7 billion, along with a GAAP EPS of $1. Overall, Street remains a Strong Buy on the stock, with 78% of the 41 analysts having a Buy rating on the stock. Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) operates China’s leading search engine alongside AI-driven services such as ERNIE Bot and AI Cloud. The company generates revenue through online marketing, apps, and cloud computing. Its three core growth engines include Mobile Ecosystem, AI Cloud, and Intelligent Driving. While we acknowledge the potential of BIDU as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the Best Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now. On January 27, Dan Levy from Barclays reiterated a Hold rating on the stock with a $360 price target. On the same day, Andres Sheppard from Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $510 price target. Previously, on January 23, analysts at Barclays had raised the price target on Tesla, Inc. (NA...
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the Best Autonomous Vehicle Stocks to Buy Now. On January 27, Dan Levy from Barclays reiterated a Hold rating on the stock with a $360 price target. On the same day, Andres Sheppard from Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $510 price target. Previously, on January 23, analysts at Barclays had raised the price target on Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) from $350 to $360. The analysts noted that the improved price target follows a major milestone for the company, which is the launch of robotaxi rides without monitors in Austin. The firm highlighted that this is the first time since June 2025 that Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is offering fully autonomous rides. This brings the company up to speed with competitors, including Waymo and Zoox. The adjustment follows Tesla’s milestone of beginning to offer robotaxi rides without safety monitors to the public in Austin, marking the first time since the robotaxi service launched in June 2025 that riders can experience fully autonomous rides similar to competitors like Waymo and Zoox. The firm highlighted that only a few vehicles are operating fully autonomous yet, with other vehicles still using safety monitors. Barclays also noted that Tesla’s Austin robotaxi operations remain modest, with only 30 to 50 total vehicles active after seven months of launch and only 10 running at once. The firm highlighted that this falls far short of Elon Musk’s October 2025 goal for 500 vehicles by year-end. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is an automotive and clean energy company that leverages advanced artificial intelligence in its autonomous driving technology and robotics initiatives. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free re...
EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) is one of the best strong buy stocks to invest in under $5. On January 27, EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) announced new plans to release NACS connectors to meet consumer demand. The update came after the company’s successful 2025 pilot, during which it installed around 100 NACS connectors across 22 major metropolitan areas. EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) has plans to expedite this deploy...
EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) is one of the best strong buy stocks to invest in under $5. On January 27, EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) announced new plans to release NACS connectors to meet consumer demand. The update came after the company’s successful 2025 pilot, during which it installed around 100 NACS connectors across 22 major metropolitan areas. EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) has plans to expedite this deployment to achieve the installation of over 500 NACS connectors by the end of this year. It added that the installation will take place at both existing and new locations, serving both Tesla drivers and the rising number of new vehicle models that are equipped with the NACS inlet. Is EVgo Inc. (EVGO) the Best Nasdaq Stock Under $5 to Buy? EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) further stated that it expects over 80% of the new EVs sold in North America to be NACS compatible by 2030, with the company’s NACS deployment plans specially designed to expand its existing customer base and raise throughput while meeting anticipated consumer demand. The company has plans to deploy additional NACS stalls in 2026 in key markets characterised by rising NACS vehicle penetration, including Houston, Austin, Orlando, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco. EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) plans to offer NACS charging in over 25 states by the end of 2026. EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ:EVGO) is involved in the provision of electric vehicle charging station services and offers home charging solutions, work charging solutions, the EVgo network, and freedom station plans to electric car owners. While we acknowledge the potential of EVGO as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stoc...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Citing a conversation with Eli Lilly ( LLY ) CEO David Ricks, President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the weight loss drugmaker plans to build six “big” manufacturing plants in the U.S. "I spoke with the head of Eli Lilly, who's a fantastic guy, a star actually—he's a star, very smart—and he told me he's building six plants in the United States, ...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Citing a conversation with Eli Lilly ( LLY ) CEO David Ricks, President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the weight loss drugmaker plans to build six “big” manufacturing plants in the U.S. "I spoke with the head of Eli Lilly, who's a fantastic guy, a star actually—he's a star, very smart—and he told me he's building six plants in the United States, big ones," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House. The Indiana-based pharma giant pledged to begin construction work on four domestic manufacturing sites last year as part of a plan to more than double its recent investments in domestic medicine production to over $50B. The company has already named Alabama, Virginia, and Texas as sites for three of those plants. More on Eli Lilly Eli Lilly: Breakout To New Highs Sends A Clear Warning Shot Eli Lilly: Buy Ahead Of Its Earnings Day (Preview) Eli Lilly: Exceptional 2025, But Rising Headwinds Loom In 2026 Market Voices: Trump on Fed nominee, obesity drug warning, Dow layoffs Lilly makes over $1.9B bet on autoimmune diseases in pact with Repertoire
Key Points Shares of Oracle and Workday are both down by more than 20% in recent months. According to analysts' price targets, however, they possess significant upside. 10 stocks we like better than Oracle › Are you looking for a good artificial intelligence (AI) stock to buy today? Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) and Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY) both have some promising growth opportunities due to AI, and analysts...
Key Points Shares of Oracle and Workday are both down by more than 20% in recent months. According to analysts' price targets, however, they possess significant upside. 10 stocks we like better than Oracle › Are you looking for a good artificial intelligence (AI) stock to buy today? Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) and Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY) both have some promising growth opportunities due to AI, and analysts view them as appealingly valued. In fact, the consensus among those covering them is that both of these stocks could rise by more than 40% over the next year. But are these big-name tech stocks no-brainer buys, or are there risks you should be aware of? Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Oracle's projected upside: 72% Analysts' consensus price target for Oracle is just over $300, around 72% above where it's currently trading. However, this comes even as multiple analysts have recently trimmed their price targets for the cloud infrastructure and software-as-a-service giant. One big reason that the estimated upside is now so high is that the share price has fallen rapidly. From its peak in September 2025, the tech stock has lost 47% of its value. Concerns about its close relationship with (and dependence on) OpenAI, as well as its heavy debt load, have led investors to pull back from the stock. Last year, Oracle and OpenAI signed a massive five-year $300 billion cloud deal. Currently, the stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24, based on analysts' projections. Its growth rate in its most recent fiscal quarter (which ended Nov. 30, 2025) was 14%, which may seem modest for an AI company. Although Oracle has been generating decent growth, and demand for its cloud computing platform may be strong in the future, I don't think the stock has as much upside as today's consensus price target would suggest, particularly considering how much of Oracle's future growt...
If there were to be an incident on board where anyone drank too much and wasn't able to perform their duties effectively, the Navy source said that this would be dealt with in much the same way that it is now, which is on board the ship.
If there were to be an incident on board where anyone drank too much and wasn't able to perform their duties effectively, the Navy source said that this would be dealt with in much the same way that it is now, which is on board the ship.
Meta (META) reported a blowout fourth quarter after the bell on Wednesday, posting better-than-anticipated earnings per share and revenue. But the big news came during the company’s earnings call. CEO Mark Zuckerberg used his opening remarks to deliver what felt more like a state of the union address, laying out his plans for the company’s AI moves in 2026 after a tough 2025. Meta spent a large ch...
Meta (META) reported a blowout fourth quarter after the bell on Wednesday, posting better-than-anticipated earnings per share and revenue. But the big news came during the company’s earnings call. CEO Mark Zuckerberg used his opening remarks to deliver what felt more like a state of the union address, laying out his plans for the company’s AI moves in 2026 after a tough 2025. Meta spent a large chunk of the last year reforming its AI arm after the disappointing release of its Llama 4 models in April. The company ended up delaying its largest model in the family, Llama 4 Behemoth, and earlier this month Meta’s now former chief AI scientist Yann LeCun told the Financial Times that the company “fudged” some performance benchmarks for the Llama 4 models to make them seem better than they actually were. Zuckerberg spent the summer and fall on a hiring spree, shaking up Meta’s AI division. The company purchased a $14.3 billion stake in startup Scale AI and brought on CEO Alexandr Wang to head up Meta’s Superintelligence Lab as the company’s first chief AI officer. But Zuckerberg is painting a far rosier picture of 2026, and with plans to integrate AI across its business segments, and Wall Street is eating it up, sending shares higher Thursday. Meta’s AI bounce According to Zuckerberg, Meta will begin shipping new AI models and products in the coming months. And while he admits the first interactions will “be good,” the CEO claims that they’ll “steadily push the frontier over the course of the year.” Zuckerberg says Meta will implement its new models across its advertising and recommendation systems, allowing them to “understand people’s unique personal goals and tailor feeds to show each person content that helps them improve their lives in the ways that they want.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes a keynote speech at the Meta Connect annual event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., September 25, 2024. (REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo) · REUTERS / Reuters...
Bitcoin was largely unmoved this week — until Thursday. The biggest cryptocurrency brought down other major digital coins. Crypto sold off with stocks over AI spending fears. Bitcoin’s price dipped hard on Thursday to a low of $83,757 as the crypto market experienced a sell-off sparked by investor fears around AI spending. The biggest and oldest cryptocurrency was recently priced slightly higher a...
Bitcoin was largely unmoved this week — until Thursday. The biggest cryptocurrency brought down other major digital coins. Crypto sold off with stocks over AI spending fears. Bitcoin’s price dipped hard on Thursday to a low of $83,757 as the crypto market experienced a sell-off sparked by investor fears around AI spending. The biggest and oldest cryptocurrency was recently priced slightly higher at $83,788 after dropping over 6% over a 24-hour period, according to CoinGecko. Over the past week, it has dropped by 6% and is down year-to-date. Ethereum also took a hit and was trading for nearly $2,792 — a 24-hour dip of more than 7%. While other major coins and tokens such as XRP and Solana also experienced similar daily drops. The crypto sell-off came as big tech stocks dipped on news that Microsoft earnings showed the software giant had reported record spending. Investors are worried that AI expenditure is too big and results are taking too long to bear fruit. “Regardless of the fact that many in the Bitcoin space see Bitcoin as the world’s hardest money and stack Bitcoin regardless of price, the vast majority of the market still sees Bitcoin as a tech trade,” Timot Lamarre, director of market research at Unchained, said. Bitcoin is down year-to-date. Source: CoinGecko. Bitcoin and the wider crypto market has in the past moved along with US equities — particularly tech stocks. Longs wiped out Traders betting on the future price of digital coins had their positions fast closed Thursday following the sell-off. In the past 24 hours, a total of $822.4 million in futures positions have been liquidated. Of that figure, $696.8 million were long positions. And $313.7 million in positions betting on the future price of Bitcoin going up have today been liquidated. All eyes on tech Bitcoin was largely unmoved after the Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept interest rates unchanged and its chair signalled no urgency to begin cutting them. The asset has typically performed well in a ...
Britain’s biggest drugmaker AstraZeneca is to invest $15bn (£11bn) in China, it announced during Keir Starmer’s visit to the country, just months after cooling on plans for expansion in the UK. The Cambridge-based company said it would spend the money by 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and research and development in China, where it already has a big presence. It includes the construction o...
Britain’s biggest drugmaker AstraZeneca is to invest $15bn (£11bn) in China, it announced during Keir Starmer’s visit to the country, just months after cooling on plans for expansion in the UK. The Cambridge-based company said it would spend the money by 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and research and development in China, where it already has a big presence. It includes the construction of a $2.5bn research hub in Beijing, which was announced last March. During the first visit by a British prime minister to China in eight years, Starmer said the move would help AstraZeneca to grow into a bigger business, thereby supporting thousands of UK jobs. He added: “The multibillion-pound investment announced today from AstraZeneca, alongside partnerships from some of our country’s leading universities, furthers research and development in the UK which is helping to power our world-class life sciences sector.” The move comes after a period of cooling relations between the government and AstraZeneca, with the entire pharmaceutical industry at loggerheads with ministers over drug pricing and other issues, resulting in a deal in December. The company paused a planned £200m expansion of a research site in Cambridge in September, having ditched a £450m investment at its vaccine site in Speke near Liverpool at the start of last year. Pascal Soriot, the AstraZeneca chief executive, said the “landmark investment” marked the next chapter for the company in China, which “has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation, advanced manufacturing, and global public health”. The funding will go into breakthrough treatments such as cell therapy and radioconjugates, a more advanced radiotherapy that targets cancer cells specifically. AstraZeneca has six global research hubs: two in Europe, in Cambridge and Sweden; two in the US; and two in China, in Beijing and Shanghai. The ones in China collaborate with more than 500 clinical hospitals and have led many global clinical tri...
Border czar says he plans to "draw down" ICE and CBP operations in Minnesota toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images MINNEAPOLIS — Tom Homan, the White House's border czar, said in a press conference Thursday the federal government is working on a plan to reduce the number of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota. Homan's announcement comes a few days after he arrived in the midwes...
Border czar says he plans to "draw down" ICE and CBP operations in Minnesota toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images MINNEAPOLIS — Tom Homan, the White House's border czar, said in a press conference Thursday the federal government is working on a plan to reduce the number of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota. Homan's announcement comes a few days after he arrived in the midwestern state to oversee Operation Metro Surge, an aggressive immigration crackdown that has brought about 3,000 federal agents to the state, led to the arrest of undocumented immigrants without a criminal record, and to the death of two U.S. citizens: Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti. "I do not want to hear that everything that's been done here has been perfect," Homan said. "Nothing's perfect, anything can be improved on, and what we've been working on is making this operation safer, more efficient, by the book. The mission is going to improve because of the changes we're making internally." Sponsor Message Homan said the plan to pull out federal agents depends on cooperation from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Homan said he wants federal agents to have "access to undocumented immigrants who are in state prisons and county jails. The Minnesota Department of Corrections has claimed all along that they already honor ICE detainer requests despite previous claims to the contrary made by other members of the Trump administration. An ICE official acknowledged this cooperation with state prisons earlier this month. Homan appeared to anticipate backlash from immigration enforcement hardliners. "We are not surrendering the president's mission on immigration enforcement," he told reporters. In a statement to NPR, Frey said "Any drawdown of ICE agents is a step in the right direction- but my ask remains the same: Operation Metro Surge must end." Homan took over Minnesota's immigration operation on Tuesday after the Trump administration removed Greg Bovino, ...
March WTI crude oil (CLH26) today is up +2.05 (+3.26%), and March RBOB gasoline (RBH26) is up +0.0196 (+1.03%). Crude oil and gasoline prices added to this week's sharp gains today, with crude oil climbing to a 4.25-month high and gasoline climbing to a 2-month high. Geopolitical risks in the Middle East are pushing crude prices higher as President Trump is warning Iran to make a nuclear deal or f...
March WTI crude oil (CLH26) today is up +2.05 (+3.26%), and March RBOB gasoline (RBH26) is up +0.0196 (+1.03%). Crude oil and gasoline prices added to this week's sharp gains today, with crude oil climbing to a 4.25-month high and gasoline climbing to a 2-month high. Geopolitical risks in the Middle East are pushing crude prices higher as President Trump is warning Iran to make a nuclear deal or face military strikes. Dollar weakness today is also supportive for energy prices. Don’t Miss a Day: Crude oil prices are underpinned after President Trump said that US ships he ordered to the Middle East were ready to fulfill their mission "with speed and violence, if necessary" if Iran fails to agree to a nuclear deal. An attack on Iran, OPEC's fourth-largest producer, could disrupt the country's crude supplies and potentially close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes. Crude oil also has support after Russia recently threw cold water on hopes of a breakthrough in peace talks with Ukraine, after the Kremlin said the "territorial issue" remains unresolved with Ukraine, and there's "no hope of achieving a long-term settlement" to the war until Russia's demand for territory in Ukraine is accepted. The outlook for the Russia-Ukraine war to continue will keep restrictions on Russian crude in place and is bullish for oil prices. The IEA last Wednesday cut its 2026 global crude surplus estimate to 3.7 million bpd from last month's estimate of 3.815 million bpd. On January 13, the EIA raised its 2026 US crude production estimate to 13.59 million bpd from 13.53 million bpd last month, and cut its US 2026 energy consumption estimate to 95.37 (quadrillion btu) from 95.68 last month. Vortexa reported Monday that crude oil stored on tankers that have been stationary for at least 7 days fell -0.6% w/w to 113.30 million bbl in the week ended January 23. Crude garnered support after OPEC+ on January 3 said it would stick to its plan to pause production i...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -1.02%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.30%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -1.69%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -1.10%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are down -1.79%. Stock indexes are sharply lower today, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average falling to 1-week lows. AI spendin...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -1.02%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.30%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -1.69%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -1.10%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are down -1.79%. Stock indexes are sharply lower today, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average falling to 1-week lows. AI spending worries are weighing on stocks today, with Microsoft sinking more than -12% after reporting underwhelming growth in its cloud business and higher-than-expected expenses. The rout in Microsoft is undercutting the Magnificent Seven technology stocks, sans Meta Platforms, and is weighing on the broader market. Join 200K+ Subscribers: Meta Platforms is up by more than 7% today and is a positive factor for the market after providing a revenue outlook that was much stronger than expected. Also, International Business Machines is up more than +5% after reporting Q4 results that beat expectations. WTI crude oil (CLH26) prices are up more than +3% to a 4.25-month high today to lift energy producers after President Trump on Wednesday said that he wants Iran to come to the table and negotiate a nuclear deal that is “a fair and equitable deal with No Nuclear Weapons.” He warned Iran that time is running out to make a deal with the US, noting that a fleet of US warships entering the region is ready to complete their mission “with speed and violence.” US weekly initial unemployment claims fell -1,000 to 209,000, showing a slightly weaker labor market than expectations of 205,000. However, continuing claims fell -38,000 to a 6-month low of 1.827 million, showing a stronger labor market than expectations of 1.850 million. The US Nov trade deficit was -$56.8 billion, wider than expectations of -$44.0 billion and the largest deficit in 4 months. US Nov factory orders rose +2.7% m/m, stronger than expectations of +1.6% m/m and the largest increase in 6 months. Threats to stocks and the doll...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 12 p.m. ET Call participants President and Chief Executive Officer — Katie Lorenson Chief Financial Officer — Alan Villalon Chief Operating Officer — Karin Taylor Chief Banking Revenue Officer — Jim Collins Chief Retirement Services Officer — Forrest Wilson Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Core R...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 12 p.m. ET Call participants President and Chief Executive Officer — Katie Lorenson Chief Financial Officer — Alan Villalon Chief Operating Officer — Karin Taylor Chief Banking Revenue Officer — Jim Collins Chief Retirement Services Officer — Forrest Wilson Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Core Return on Assets (ROA) -- 1.62% for the quarter, reflecting improved profitability post-integration of Home Federal. -- 1.62% for the quarter, reflecting improved profitability post-integration of Home Federal. Adjusted ROA -- 1.35% for the full year, demonstrating continued returns above stated targets. -- 1.35% for the full year, demonstrating continued returns above stated targets. Adjusted Efficiency Ratio -- 64.45%, highlighting operational discipline following strategic initiatives and integration. -- 64.45%, highlighting operational discipline following strategic initiatives and integration. Deposit Retention Rate -- Approximately 95% since the Home Federal acquisition, indicating strong client retention during system conversions. -- Approximately 95% since the Home Federal acquisition, indicating strong client retention during system conversions. Net Interest Margin (NIM) Reported -- Increased to 3.69% for the quarter; on a core basis excluding purchase accounting and one-time items, NIM was 3.17%. -- Increased to 3.69% for the quarter; on a core basis excluding purchase accounting and one-time items, NIM was 3.17%. Net Interest Income -- Reported quarter-over-quarter growth of 4.7%; adjusted non-interest income up 8.3% from the previous quarter, excluding security losses and other one-time items. -- Reported quarter-over-quarter growth of 4.7%; adjusted non-interest income up 8.3% from the previous quarter, excluding security losses and other one-time items. Total Loans -- Decreased 1.3% over the prior quarter, due to targeted balance sheet risk mitigation and delib...
STORY: Big Tech earnings so far this week have sent a clear warning: investors are willing to overlook soaring spending on artificial intelligence if it fuels strong growth, but are quick to punish companies that fall short. The contrast was clear in Thursday's stock market reaction to earnings from Microsoft and Meta. The Facebook and Instagram parent jumped as much as 11% Thursday morning on str...
STORY: Big Tech earnings so far this week have sent a clear warning: investors are willing to overlook soaring spending on artificial intelligence if it fuels strong growth, but are quick to punish companies that fall short. The contrast was clear in Thursday's stock market reaction to earnings from Microsoft and Meta. The Facebook and Instagram parent jumped as much as 11% Thursday morning on strong sales. While Microsoft slumped 12% after its cloud business failed to impress. Meta has said it is benefiting from AI bolstered ad targeting. That contributed to a 24% boost in quarterly revenue and a rosy first-quarter forecast. The results show that its gains from AI were helping fund its capital spending, which is expected to jump as much as 87% to $135 billion this year. Microsoft benefitted from its first-mover advantage with its investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI to become the world's most valuable firm in 2024. But that has morphed into a possible drawback as OpenAI faces increased competition including from Google's Gemini which has won over massive customers such as Apple. Now Microsoft is under growing investor pressure to justify its soaring capital outlay. Microsoft reported revenue growth in its Azure cloud-computing business that was only slightly above expectations. But despite Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's insistence that AI remains in the "early innings," the company has spent more than $200 billion on the technology since the start of its fiscal 2024, and investor patience is waning.
An apartment for rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Apartment rents continued their slide into the new year, as fresh supply still makes its way through the market, and landlords strive to gain pricing power over a struggling consumer. The national median rent in January was $1,353, a drop of 1.4% compared w...
An apartment for rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Apartment rents continued their slide into the new year, as fresh supply still makes its way through the market, and landlords strive to gain pricing power over a struggling consumer. The national median rent in January was $1,353, a drop of 1.4% compared with one year ago, according to Apartment List. This is now the fourth consecutive winter with a "pronounced" offseason dip, and is the largest annual drop since September 2023 and the lowest January rent since 2022. Rents are now 6.2% lower than their last peak in the summer of 2022. The national vacancy rate was 7.3% in January, a record high on Apartment List's index, which dates to 2017. Units are also taking an average of 41 days to get leased, four days more than in January 2025 and another high for the index. "Early last year, it appeared that annual rent growth was on track to flip positive for the first time since mid-2023; however, that rebound stalled out and reversed course during a slow summer moving season that has now dragged into the winter," wrote Chris Salviati, chief economist at Apartment List. The record supply of new apartment units has peaked, but there is still a good amount coming through the pipeline. That is coming up against weaker demand because of a tighter job market and slower household formation. Get Property Play directly to your inbox CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe here to get access today . Looking locally, most of the annual declines are in the South and Mountain West regions. Markets in the Northeast, Midwest and parts of the West Coast continue to see rising rents despite the general winter slowdown. Austin, Texas, wins the dubious distinction of the softest rental market in the nation, with the median rent there down 6.3...
Starting to strategize in the midst of a meltdown means you've already missed your window of opportunity. It obviously hasn't happened yet. The risk of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks like Nvidia or Broadcom being in a bubble on the verge of popping, however, still looms large. Wise investors are preparing ahead of time, rather than risking being in a position that may force them into making a...
Starting to strategize in the midst of a meltdown means you've already missed your window of opportunity. It obviously hasn't happened yet. The risk of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks like Nvidia or Broadcom being in a bubble on the verge of popping, however, still looms large. Wise investors are preparing ahead of time, rather than risking being in a position that may force them into making a quick -- but ultimately misguided -- decision. To this end, what should everyone at least start thinking about doing if AI stocks start to suffer a major correction? Here are three biggies that should help your portfolio hold up when it seems like everything is imploding. Small caps Artificial intelligence stocks haven't just outperformed the rest of the market since late 2022, when the launch of ChatGPT kicked off AI-mania. This leadership has come at the expense of other segments of the market. And one segment in particular that investors have avoided in order to own more AI stocks is small-cap names. Now they're well undervalued. Indeed, numbers from Yardeni Research indicates the S&P 600 Small Cap Index's trailing price-to-earnings ratio is only 16, while its forward-looking P/E ratio is not much higher at 16.4. Both are below long-term norms. If the AI bubble bursts here, it will mostly impact large-cap technology stocks. This could actually push the crowd back toward smaller names as a safe(r) haven. Dividend-paying value stocks Then there's the obvious defense against a meltdown of the market's most overvalued tech names. That's value stocks, including dividend payers. Like small caps, these stocks have underperformed specifically because so many investors have insisted on scooping up so much exposure to the AI revolution. That said, it's worth noting that the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD +1.13%) -- which has underperformed specifically because it doesn't own any of the hottest AI tickers -- has suddenly perked up while most artificial intelligence-related ...
Innodata stock rose sharply on Thursday following the announcement that it had been selected by Palantir Technologies to provide training data and annotation capabilities. A Barron’s stock pick, Innodata has returned 73% from our call in September 2025, including a 25% rally thus far this year to a recent price of $63.58. Landing Palantir as a customer is a major win for Innodata, further validati...
Innodata stock rose sharply on Thursday following the announcement that it had been selected by Palantir Technologies to provide training data and annotation capabilities. A Barron’s stock pick, Innodata has returned 73% from our call in September 2025, including a 25% rally thus far this year to a recent price of $63.58. Landing Palantir as a customer is a major win for Innodata, further validating its technical expertise and leadership in AI training solutions.
Bet_Noire Seeking Alpha's roundup of statements, announcements, and remarks that could impact markets, sectors, or individual stocks. President Trump said he plans to announce who he will nominate for Federal Reserve chair next week. “We’re going to be announcing next week,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, according to Bloomberg . “We’re going to be announcing the head of the Fed, wh...
Bet_Noire Seeking Alpha's roundup of statements, announcements, and remarks that could impact markets, sectors, or individual stocks. President Trump said he plans to announce who he will nominate for Federal Reserve chair next week. “We’re going to be announcing next week,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, according to Bloomberg . “We’re going to be announcing the head of the Fed, who that will be, and it will be a person that will, I think, do a good job.” Leading candidates for the position are said to include National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Fed Governor Christopher Waller, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, and BlackRock ( BLK ) Senior Managing Director Rick Rieder. Current Fed Chair Jerome Powell is slated to step down from the job in May. British regulators are updating product labeling for GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist drugs, which include the hugely popular weight-loss medications Wegovy and Zepbound, to reflect the potential risk of users developing life-threatening pancreatic conditions. The labels will be updated "to highlight the potential risk of severe acute pancreatitis with these products, including rare reports of necrotizing and fatal pancreatitis," according to the U.K.'s MHRA . Drugs that will carry the warning include dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide. Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) markets semaglutide under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, while Eli Lilly ( LLY ) sells tirzepatide under the names Zepbound and Mounjaro. Dow ( DOW ) said it plans to eliminate around 4,500 jobs under a new restructuring plan called Transform to Outperform. "The goal of Transform to Outperform is to achieve significant growth and productivity gains that elevate Dow's competitive position," said Dow COO Karen Carter in a statement . "We are building on the momentum of our current self-help measures—transforming Dow into a company that is more resilient, consistently delivers growth, enables customer succes...