Retail sentiment on major ETFs such as SPY and QQQ remains ‘bearish’ on Stocktwits despite easing shutdown risks. Wall Street braced for potential policy shifts ahead of a reported Fed Chair announcement and key inflation data. Gold and silver paused after record highs. Earnings from Apple, energy majors, and financials are adding to volatility at the end of a crowded week. U.S. stock futures were...
Retail sentiment on major ETFs such as SPY and QQQ remains ‘bearish’ on Stocktwits despite easing shutdown risks. Wall Street braced for potential policy shifts ahead of a reported Fed Chair announcement and key inflation data. Gold and silver paused after record highs. Earnings from Apple, energy majors, and financials are adding to volatility at the end of a crowded week. U.S. stock futures were lower early Friday as investors monitored fresh trade friction with Canada, easing government shutdown risks, and a slate of economic data and earnings to close out the week. Markets are gearing up for potential policy shifts after reports suggest that Kevin Warsh is emerging as the lead choice for the next Federal Reserve Chair position, with President Trump expected to announce his pick on Friday morning. As of 3:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Nasdaq futures were down nearly 1%, the S&P 500 and Dow futures declined 0.7%, while Russell 2000 futures were down 1.3%. Meanwhile, retail sentiment toward the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&P 500 Index, remained ‘extremely bearish’, while the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) ETF, which tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, moderated to ‘bearish’ from a day ago, amid high message volumes. Precious metals rally took a breather, with gold and silver seeing a pullback after hitting historic all-time highs. The iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was the top trending ticker on Stocktwits at the time of writing. SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD) also saw retail sentiment remaining in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory, with ‘extremely high’ levels of chatter. Trending Stocks To Watch Apple (AAPL): Earnings beat street estimates, driven by iPhone demand. The tech giant also confirmed the $1.6B acquisition of Israeli audio-AI startup Q.ai. Meanwhile, reports suggest it is prioritizing production and shipment of its three highest-end iPhone models for 2026 while delaying the rollout of its standard model. SanDisk (SNDK): The data storage giant saw...
Capital Investment Services of America Inc. cut its stake in shares of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 213,347 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 13,725 shares during the quarter. Oracle accounts for approxim...
Capital Investment Services of America Inc. cut its stake in shares of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 213,347 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 13,725 shares during the quarter. Oracle accounts for approximately 5.3% of Capital Investment Services of America Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Capital Investment Services of America Inc.'s holdings in Oracle were worth $60,002,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Get Oracle alerts: Sign Up Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Oracle by 2.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 164,278,874 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $35,916,290,000 after acquiring an additional 3,353,461 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in Oracle by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 73,459,391 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $16,060,427,000 after purchasing an additional 1,252,723 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Oracle during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,275,378,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Oracle by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 11,938,457 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $3,357,572,000 after buying an additional 98,693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in shares of Oracle by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 11,315,180 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $2,473,838,000 after buying an additional 147,367 shares during the period. 42.44% of the ...
In 2025, Social Security Administration employees were suddenly faced with a heavier workload. Here's how that can impact you when you need help. Whether you're retired or soon to be retired, you understand the important role Social Security benefits play in a retiree's life. For some, it's the only thing preventing them from falling into poverty. For others, retirement income fills the gaps in th...
In 2025, Social Security Administration employees were suddenly faced with a heavier workload. Here's how that can impact you when you need help. Whether you're retired or soon to be retired, you understand the important role Social Security benefits play in a retiree's life. For some, it's the only thing preventing them from falling into poverty. For others, retirement income fills the gaps in their monthly budget. However, finding answers to your Social Security questions has become more difficult, following a sudden purge of federal workers in 2025. That purge ended with 7,000 fewer employees at the Social Security Administration (SSA), many of whom held frontline roles dealing with the public. What could possibly go wrong? There's no doubt that some businesses can handle restructuring better than others. When you're talking about an organization as large and important as the SSA, though, questions arise as to whether the cuts were either necessary or helpful. From birth, Social Security plays a part in American life. Beginning with issuing a Social Security number and culminating with retirement benefits, the SSA plays a role. The challenges of serving 71 million people According to the SSA, nearly 71 million people receive Social Security benefits. And at times, a portion of those people have questions, concerns, or immediate needs that must be addressed. Kenneth Williams, president of the Dallas chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans, told CBS News: It's very concerning, if you think about it, even though they're not changing the law. If you take away the infrastructure that people need to access the benefits, that's going to have the same impact. Impact on recipients While a 12% cut in personnel may seem minor, it's typically been all hands on deck as the SSA supports the multitude of people and calls that come into their offices each day. Today, anyone seeking in-person help, language assistance, disability claims, or an appeal of an SSA decision can ...
This genomics stock appears to be at an inflection point. Guardant Health (GH +0.68%) is on the rise, in more ways than one. Shares of the precision oncology company have skyrocketed over the last six months. Guardant Health has also chalked up several key victories recently, including signing a multi-year collaboration with Merck (MRK +1.35%) to develop companion diagnostics and market new cancer...
This genomics stock appears to be at an inflection point. Guardant Health (GH +0.68%) is on the rise, in more ways than one. Shares of the precision oncology company have skyrocketed over the last six months. Guardant Health has also chalked up several key victories recently, including signing a multi-year collaboration with Merck (MRK +1.35%) to develop companion diagnostics and market new cancer therapies with Guardant's Infinity Smart program. Although Guardant Health hasn't announced a date for releasing its full-year 2025 and fourth-quarter results, it's likely to provide an update by Feb. 19, 2026. Should you buy this high-flying genomics stock before then? Expand NASDAQ : GH Guardant Health Today's Change ( 0.68 %) $ 0.75 Current Price $ 110.48 Key Data Points Market Cap $14B Day's Range $ 105.78 - $ 110.48 52wk Range $ 34.88 - $ 120.74 Volume 24 Avg Vol 2.4M Gross Margin 63.76 % The case for buying Guardant Health stock soon Buying stocks at inflection points is often a smart way for investors to make money. And Guardant Health appears to be at an inflection point. The company revealed in its Q3 earnings call that its core oncology business generated positive free cash flow in the third quarter of 2025, one quarter earlier than its goal. This achievement reflected a significant milestone. Importantly, management expects to remain free cash flow positive in Q4 and throughout 2026 and beyond. Guardant Health and Path Group are already working together to market the Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening to more than 250 health systems. The company is also ramping up its partnership with Quest Diagnostics (DGX 0.21%) in the first quarter of 2026 to make Shield available to U.S. physicians and patients served by Quest. To add icing to the cake, Guardant Health recently won U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Guardant360 CDx as a companion diagnostic for Pfizer's (PFE +0.93%) Braftovi in combination with Eli Lilly's (LLY +0.03%) Erbitu...
Apple (AAPL) Shares in Apple fell in pre-market trading on Friday despite the company reporting first quarter earnings that beat expectations, as investors questioned the durability of a sharp sales rebound. The iPhone maker posted earnings per share of $2.84 on revenue of $143.8bn (£105bn), compared with Bloomberg consensus estimates of $2.68 a share on revenue of $138.4bn. Revenue rose 16% from ...
Apple (AAPL) Shares in Apple fell in pre-market trading on Friday despite the company reporting first quarter earnings that beat expectations, as investors questioned the durability of a sharp sales rebound. The iPhone maker posted earnings per share of $2.84 on revenue of $143.8bn (£105bn), compared with Bloomberg consensus estimates of $2.68 a share on revenue of $138.4bn. Revenue rose 16% from a year earlier. Revenue for the iPhone climbed 23% year on year to $85.27bn, which Apple attributed to strong demand for the iPhone 17 models launched in September. Sales in China, a key market for the company, jumped 38% over the period. Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, described the results as “a remarkable, record-breaking quarter” driven by “unprecedented [iPhone] demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment”. The upbeat figures were met with a muted market response, however, as investors weighed concerns over rising costs, the sustainability of the sales surge and Apple’s AI strategy, which has suffered delays and the loss of senior staff to rivals. Apple forecast revenue growth of between 13% and 16% year-on-year for the current quarter, ahead of Wall Street expectations of about 10%. Microsoft (MSFT) Shares in Microsoft were also lower in pre-market trading after plunging 10% in the previous session, as investors reacted nervously to a sharp increase in data centre spending and weaker than expected cloud growth, despite a strong uplift in profits driven by demand for AI services. In quarterly results released after the US market close on Wednesday, Microsoft said adjusted net income rose 23% year on year to $30.9bn in the three months to the end of December, beating analysts’ expectations of $28.9bn. Revenue climbed 17% to $81.3bn, ahead of forecasts of $80.3bn. Capital expenditure, including finance leases, reached $37.5bn in the quarter, up from $34.9bn in the previous three months and 66% higher than a year earlier. Microsoft has previously fore...
One of China’s largest regular buyers of Venezuelan crude is making bids for Canadian cargoes as a replacement, after US intervention in the Latin American country upended global flows and lifted prices. Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals Co. has offered to buy Canadian Cold Lake oil at a discount of about $5 a barrel to ICE Brent on a delivered basis to China for May, according to people familiar ...
One of China’s largest regular buyers of Venezuelan crude is making bids for Canadian cargoes as a replacement, after US intervention in the Latin American country upended global flows and lifted prices. Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals Co. has offered to buy Canadian Cold Lake oil at a discount of about $5 a barrel to ICE Brent on a delivered basis to China for May, according to people familiar with the deal, who asked not to be named as they are not authorized to speak to the media. No deal has yet been agreed. Recent deals of the grade were closed with Chinese buyers at discounts of about $4 a barrel to ICE Brent, traders said. Chambroad did not respond to an email seeking comment and calls to the company were unanswered. The private refiner’s bid comes as China explores alternatives to Venezuela’s Merey, a heavy crude that previously traded at deep discounts due to US sanctions. Since Trump’s blockade and the seizure of dark-fleet tankers involved in ferrying the country’s oil, China-bound flows have dwindled , with Western traders moving shipments to Europe and the Caribbean. They have also offered supplies to Asia at much narrower discounts. Prior to the US action, when Venezuelan oil was sold via a clandestine network, barrels were offered to Chinese refiners at discounts as wide as $15 a barrel. Aside from privately-owned Chambroad, other regular Chinese buyers of Venezuela crude including Shandong Dongming Petroleum & Chemical Group and Sinochem Hongrun Petrochemical Co .
Robert Buchel/iStock Editorial via Getty Images President Donald Trump said the U.S. is decertifying all aircraft made in Canada, including Bombardier Global Expresses, and threatened a 50% tariff on those planes until the country certifies jets made by General Dynamics ( GD )-owned Gulfstream. "Canada has wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700, and ...
Robert Buchel/iStock Editorial via Getty Images President Donald Trump said the U.S. is decertifying all aircraft made in Canada, including Bombardier Global Expresses, and threatened a 50% tariff on those planes until the country certifies jets made by General Dynamics ( GD )-owned Gulfstream. "Canada has wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700, and 800 Jets," Trump posted on Truth Social. "Canada is effectively prohibiting the sale of Gulfstream products in Canada through this very same certification process." "If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America," he added. Bombardier said it'd taken note of Trump's announcement and is in contact with the Canadian government. "We hope this is quickly resolved to avoid a significant impact to air traffic and the flying public." Trump was not suggesting decertifying Canadian-made planes that are currently in operation, a White House official told Reuters . If Trump were to follow through on his threat, it would significantly impact U.S. carriers such as American Airlines ( AAL ) and Delta Air Lines ( DAL ), which rely on Canadian-built planes for their regional services. There are 150 Global Express aircraft and 5,425 total Canadian-made planes in service registered in the U.S., according to data provider Cirium. IAM, a union representing over 600,000 machinists and aerospace workers, condemned Trump's threat. "Any attempt to revoke or cancel certifications for political reasons would almost certainly result in prolonged legal battles, creating uncertainty and instability that would directly threaten jobs, investment, and confidence in the aviation system across North America." More on Bombardier, General Dynamics General Dynamics Can Still Shoot Higher From Here Bombardier: Strong Growth, But Valuation Risk Is Rising (Rating Downgrade) Bombardier downgra...
UK mortgage approvals unexpectedly fell in December, suggesting the housing market entered 2026 in a cautious mode. Banks and building societies authorized 61,013 home loans, down from 64,072 in November and the lowest since June 2024, the Bank of England said Friday. Economists had expected a modest increase to 64,900 on average. The figures also showed consumers borrowed an extra £1.5 billion ($...
UK mortgage approvals unexpectedly fell in December, suggesting the housing market entered 2026 in a cautious mode. Banks and building societies authorized 61,013 home loans, down from 64,072 in November and the lowest since June 2024, the Bank of England said Friday. Economists had expected a modest increase to 64,900 on average. The figures also showed consumers borrowed an extra £1.5 billion ($2.8 billion) of unsecured debt. The figure was down from an unusually high £2.1 billion in November and below the average of the previous six months. Households deposited £4.8 billion in December, down from £8.8 billion the month before, BOE figures also showed. Speculation about property tax rises had a dampening effect on the UK housing market in the run-up to the Nov. 26 budget. In the event, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves limited the pain to the most expensive homes and delayed broader taxes on households until later in the parliament.
Thu Lan Nguyen, Commerzbank's commodity and FX research head, discusses market positioning in light of Kevin Warsh's possible nomination as next chair of the Federal Reserve. Asked whether this could change the view on gold, Thu Lan Nguyen says "not yet," adding that markets are doubting whether Warsh will be "as low as someone like Kevin Hassett." Speaking on Bloomberg Television, she says: "Trum...
Thu Lan Nguyen, Commerzbank's commodity and FX research head, discusses market positioning in light of Kevin Warsh's possible nomination as next chair of the Federal Reserve. Asked whether this could change the view on gold, Thu Lan Nguyen says "not yet," adding that markets are doubting whether Warsh will be "as low as someone like Kevin Hassett." Speaking on Bloomberg Television, she says: "Trump has made relatively clear what he wants from a new Fed chair and if that Fed chair doesn't deliver the attacks on the Fed are unlikely to subside." (Source: Bloomberg)