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IRS tax refund delays? Watchdog flags staffing crunch as 2026 filing season ramps up

IRS staffing has dropped to 2021 levels as the 2026 tax filing season begins, according to a Treasury watchdog. The agency faces a backlog of about 2 million returns, 129% above pre-pandemic levels. Most e-filers using direct deposit still get refunds within 21 days, but paper filings and amended returns could see delays. The IRS lowered its call-answer target to 70% for this season.

7 February 2026

by Shan Ahmed Khan

Plug Power stock jumps 12% after vote setback, with Feb 17 share decision in focus

Plug Power shares rose 11.6% Friday to $2.08 after a sharp drop the previous day, as attention shifted to a Feb. 17 shareholder vote on expanding authorized shares. The company failed to secure enough votes earlier this week and is urging overseas holders to participate. CEO Andy Marsh cited difficulties for European investors in casting ballots. A reverse stock split remains possible if the proposal fails.

7 February 2026

NASDAQ:PLUG·Stock Market

Amazon stock slides on $200 billion AI spending plan — what to know before Monday’s open

Amazon shares fell 5.55% to $210.32 Friday after the company outlined a $200 billion 2026 capex plan and forecast lower-than-expected operating income. D.A. Davidson downgraded the stock, citing tougher cloud competition. Analysts trimmed price targets following the results. Amazon reported Q4 net sales of $213.4 billion and AWS revenue of $35.6 billion.

7 February 2026

Amazon·Artificial Intelligence·Stock Market

AT&T stock price: T slips after $6.5B bond sale as payrolls, CPI loom next week

AT&T shares closed down 0.7% at $27.13 on Friday, underperforming the S&P 500’s 1.97% gain. The company completed a $6.5 billion global notes sale this week, with maturities from 2031 to 2056 and coupons between 4.4% and 6%. Investors await delayed U.S. jobs and inflation data, along with T-Mobile’s upcoming earnings update.

7 February 2026

NYSE:T·Stock Market

Intuitive Machines stock just jumped 18% — what LUNR traders are watching next week

Intuitive Machines shares surged 18.3% to $17.50 Friday, outpacing the broader market as the Dow topped 50,000 and tech stocks rallied. No clear company-specific news drove the jump. The move follows last month’s $800 million Lanteris Space Systems acquisition. U.S. jobs and inflation data next week may shift market direction.

7 February 2026

NASDAQ:LUNR·Stock Market

GE Vernova stock price jumps toward $800 — what to know before Monday trade

NYSE:GE·Stock Market

7 February 2026

GE Vernova shares jumped 5.7% to $779.35 Friday after Baird upgraded the stock and the Dow closed above 50,000. The company’s onshore wind unit reported 1.1 GW in U.S. repower orders for 2025, a figure previously disclosed. GE Vernova also completed a $2.6 billion senior notes offering to help fund its Prolec GE stake purchase. Next earnings report is set for April 22.

Navitas Semiconductor stock jumps 19% into weekend — here’s what could move NVTS next week

Navitas Semiconductor shares surged 19.3% to $8.86 Friday, with 27.4 million shares traded, as chip stocks rebounded and the Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. The company’s next earnings report is scheduled for February 24 after market close.

7 February 2026

NASDAQ:NVTS·Semiconductors

Lumentum stock hits a record close — Citi raises target, insider filing lands ahead of Monday

Lumentum shares jumped 9.3% to a record $551.99 Friday after Citigroup and JPMorgan raised price targets to $560 and $565. The surge followed strong quarterly results and guidance, plus a director’s filing to sell up to 4,849 shares. Markets reopen Monday ahead of the company’s March 17 investor briefing at OFC.

7 February 2026

NASDAQ:LITE·Stock Market

Nvidia stock price rebounds nearly 8% as AI spending race heats up — what to watch next week

Nvidia shares jumped 7.9% to $185.41 Friday, their strongest gain in weeks, as chip stocks rallied on news of major AI infrastructure spending by Amazon and Alphabet. The PHLX semiconductor index rose 5.7%. Investors now await U.S. inflation data on Feb. 13 and Nvidia’s earnings report on Feb. 25.

7 February 2026

Artificial Intelligence·NASDAQ:NVDA·Stock Market·Technology

Lucid stock jumps 14% as Dow tops 50,000 — what LCID investors watch next week

Lucid Group shares jumped 14% to $10.86 at Friday’s close, recovering from an 8% drop the previous day. The move followed a broad Wall Street rally that lifted high-volatility stocks. Lucid reported fourth-quarter deliveries of 5,345 vehicles and full-year deliveries of 15,841. Investors await Lucid’s Feb. 24 results for updates on cash and demand.

7 February 2026

NASDAQ:LCID·Stock Market

Pfizer stock price rises into weekend as FDA priority review, TrumpRx discounts grab focus

NYSE:PFE·Pharmaceuticals·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Pfizer shares rose 2.8% to $27.22 Friday after the FDA granted priority review for a Hympavzi label expansion, with a decision expected in Q2 2026. Trading volume reached 50.7 million shares. The TrumpRx.gov drug-discount rollout put renewed focus on pricing, with over 30 Pfizer drugs listed at launch.

Bitfarms stock jumps on Keel rebrand and U.S. redomiciliation plan — what BITF investors watch next

Cryptocurrency·NASDAQ:BITF·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Bitfarms shares jumped 25.2% to $2.14 Friday after the company announced plans to move its legal home to the U.S. and rebrand as Keel Infrastructure, pending a March 20 shareholder vote. The company also said it will repay its $100 million Macquarie debt facility and reported $698 million in net liquidity.

CoreWeave stock jumps 20% as CRWV heads into Feb. 26 earnings — what traders watch next

Earnings Reports·NASDAQ:CRWV·Stock Market

7 February 2026

CoreWeave shares surged 20.5% to $89.95 Friday, capping a volatile week for AI stocks. The company launched its ARENA lab and a new ad campaign, and set Feb. 26 for its earnings release. SVP Chen Goldberg sold nearly 18,000 shares for tax withholding. A securities class action lawsuit was filed covering trades from March 28 to Dec. 15, 2025.

Arista Networks (ANET) stock jumps into the weekend — here’s what traders watch next week

Stock Market

7 February 2026

Arista Networks shares jumped 6.85% to $137.49 Friday, breaking a two-day slide on volume of about 9 million shares, above average. The move came ahead of Arista’s earnings set for Feb. 12 and U.S. CPI data on Feb. 13. Options pricing signals traders expect volatility around the results. The Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time.

Exxon Mobil stock price just tagged a new high — what could move XOM when markets reopen

Energy Sector·NYSE:XOM·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Exxon Mobil shares closed at a 52-week high of $149.05 Friday, up 2.03%, as U.S. energy stocks rallied. Oil prices swung on U.S.-Iran headlines, with Brent settling at $68.05 and WTI at $63.55. Washington imposed new sanctions on Iranian petroleum entities and ships. Exxon plans to release an updated investor presentation on Feb. 20.

Coca-Cola stock price: Minute Maid frozen exit puts KO in focus before next week’s earnings

Earnings Reports·NYSE:KO·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Coca-Cola will discontinue its Minute Maid frozen products in the U.S. and Canada in Q1 2026, citing declining demand. Shares closed Friday up 0.7% at $79.03. CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares earlier this week under a pre-set plan. The company’s Q4 earnings call is set for Feb. 10.

Corning stock price hits record close — what’s driving GLW and the next big test

NYSE:GLW·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Corning shares jumped 8.3% to a record $122.16 Friday, gaining 11% over two sessions amid strong demand for AI infrastructure stocks. The move follows a $6 billion optical fiber deal with Meta and upgraded company forecasts. Shares traded as high as $122.56 and rose 0.6% after hours. COO Avery Nelson sold 1,894 shares for tax withholding, retaining 66,050.

PepsiCo stock: €2.5 billion bond deal lands as investors size up the price-cut gamble

NYSE:PEP

7 February 2026

PepsiCo priced €2.5 billion in euro notes across four maturities, with settlement set for Feb. 11, according to an SEC filing. The company plans to use proceeds for general corporate purposes, including repaying commercial paper. Shares closed at $170.49 Friday, up 1.8%. PepsiCo is also cutting U.S. snack prices by up to 15% after consumer pushback.

GE Aerospace stock price jumps to $321 on dividend hike — what to watch before Monday

NYSE:GE·Stock Market

7 February 2026

GE Aerospace shares rose 4.78% Friday to close at $321 after the company declared a $0.47 quarterly dividend, payable April 27. The new payout marks a 31% increase from December’s dividend. Investors remain focused on supply-chain issues and upcoming U.S. economic data. GE’s ex-dividend date is March 9.

SMX stock price nearly doubles after $250 million equity-line expansion — what to watch before Monday

NASDAQ:SMX·Stock Market

7 February 2026

SMX shares surged 89.6% to $15.83 Friday after the company expanded its standby equity purchase agreement with Target Capital 1 LLC to $250 million. The Nasdaq-listed stock traded nearly 39 million shares amid volatility. SMX disclosed it has drawn $8.9 million so far and will continue issuing shares. Focus turns to dilution risk and trading when markets reopen Feb. 9.

Walmart stock jumps to $131 as traders brace for CPI and Feb. 19 earnings

Earnings Reports·NYSE:WMT·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Walmart shares rose 3.3% Friday to $131.18, up 10% since Jan. 30, as the Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. The retailer’s market value crossed $1 trillion this week. Investors await January inflation data on Feb. 13 and Walmart’s quarterly results on Feb. 19 for signs of continued momentum.

Carnival stock price jumps 8% as SEC filing flags possible CFO share sale next week

LSE:CCL·NYSE:CCL·NYSE:NCLH·NYSE:RCL·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Carnival shares jumped 8.1% to $33.99 Friday after a Form 144 filing showed CFO David Bernstein plans to sell 361,790 shares, valued at about $11.6 million, around Feb. 10. Investors are watching the Feb. 13 dividend record date and a shareholder vote on the company’s structure, with earnings expected in March.

Caterpillar stock price jumps 7% to $726 as Dow cracks 50,000 — what matters next week

NYSE:CAT·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Caterpillar shares surged 7.1% to $726.20 Friday, driving the Dow above 50,000 for the first time. The move erased recent losses and followed insider selling by Group President Bob De Lange earlier in the week. Deere and CNH Industrial also gained as investors rotated into industrial stocks. Markets await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data.

Amazon stock slides as $200B AI spending plan meets cautious profit outlook

Amazon·Artificial Intelligence·NASDAQ:AMZN·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Amazon shares fell 9% Friday after the company announced plans for $200 billion in 2026 capital spending, mainly for AWS and AI, and issued a first-quarter profit outlook below estimates. The stock drop could erase $200 billion in market value. Fourth-quarter net sales rose 14% to $213.4 billion, while free cash flow declined due to higher spending on AI infrastructure.

Six-Month Wait for Intel Xeon? China Server CPU Shortage Hits Intel and AMD as AI Demand Bites

NASDAQ:AMD·NASDAQ:INTC

7 February 2026

Intel has warned some customers in China that server CPU deliveries could take up to six months, sources said. Prices for Intel server CPUs in China have risen over 10% in many cases. AMD lead times have also stretched to 8–10 weeks. The shortages now affect both CPUs and memory chips, hitting Chinese cloud and data center projects.

Blockchain’s New Pitch: Tracking Supply-Chain Emissions for a Price

Blockchain·NYSE:WMT·Technology Trends

7 February 2026

Blockchain industry groups are promoting supply-chain emissions tracking and data transparency, not crypto trading, as key business uses. Companies face mounting pressure to map Scope 3 emissions, which are often hard to verify. Past blockchain supply-chain projects, including Maersk’s TradeLens, struggled with adoption when partners failed to participate.

Stellantis stock rattled by $26.5 billion EV reset and dividend halt ahead of Monday trade

Electric Vehicles·NYSE:STLA·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Stellantis shares plunged 23.8% to $7.28 in New York on Friday after the company flagged €22.2 billion in charges tied to cutting back electric-vehicle plans and scrapped its 2026 dividend. The automaker also authorized up to €5 billion in hybrid bonds and agreed to sell its 49% stake in a Canadian battery joint venture to LG Energy Solution.

Liberty Global stock price climbs as LBTYA pops and rare Class B spike rattles weekend watchlists

LSE:BT.A·NASDAQ:GOOGL·NASDAQ:LBTYA·NYSE:TEF·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Liberty Global’s Class A shares closed up 4.3% at $11.75 Friday, while Class B surged as much as 139% to a 52-week high before paring gains. The move followed news of a five-year AI partnership with Google Cloud and reports of a possible £2 billion Netomnia acquisition by Liberty’s U.K. fibre joint venture. Investors await full-year results later this month.

Ashtead share price in focus as buyback rolls on and NYSE switch clocks closer

LSE:AHT·Share Buyback·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Ashtead shares closed Friday at 4,936p, up 1.09%, after the company bought 88,872 shares under its repurchase program. The group is set to shift its primary listing to New York on March 2, pending court approval, and will be removed from the FTSE UK index the same day. Ashtead paid a half-year dividend of 37.5 U.S. cents per share on Friday.

Beazley share price: big funds reshuffle stakes as Zurich bid deadline nears

LSE:BEZG.L·Stock Market·SWX:ZURN.SW

7 February 2026

Beazley shares closed flat at 1,236 pence Friday as BlackRock disclosed a 6.55% stake and Vanguard reported 5.02%. Wellington Management cut its holding below 5%. The disclosures follow Zurich Insurance’s possible takeover offer of up to 1,335 pence per share, with a Feb. 16 deadline for a firm bid.

Imperial Brands share price jumps 1.5% into weekend as dividend dates and BoE cut bets loom

Dividends·LSE:IMB.L·Stock Market·UK Economy

7 February 2026

Imperial Brands shares closed up 1.49% at 3,341p in London on Friday, outpacing the FTSE 100. The company flagged a final dividend for March 31, with Feb. 20 as the record date. Trading volume was below average, and the stock remains about 8% below its December high. UK rate-cut bets increased after the Bank of England’s split vote this week.

Tesco stock price: TSCO.L ends Friday higher as UK rate-cut bets return

LSE:TSCO.L·Stock Market·UK Economy

7 February 2026

Tesco shares closed up 0.6% at 452.1p on Friday, with 12.4 million shares traded. The FTSE 100 also gained 0.6%, lifted by banks. Investors are watching Bank of England rate expectations and UK GDP data due next week. Tesco’s next results are scheduled for April 16.

Prudential plc share price ends week higher as PRU buyback and BoE rate bets shape the next move

Interest Rates·LSE:PRU.L·Share Buybacks·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Prudential plc shares closed 0.5% higher at 1,182 pence Friday after the insurer repurchased 494,445 shares, averaging 11.87 pounds each, for cancellation. The FTSE 100 rose 0.6% on the day. Bank of England survey data showed markets expect the policy rate to fall to 3.0% by March 2027 from 3.75% now. Prudential’s $1.2 billion buyback program runs through December 2026.

Compass Group PLC stock price slips to 2,125p as AI worries hang over office catering demand

Artificial Intelligence·LSE:CPG.L·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Compass Group shares fell 2.48% to 2,125p on Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.59% gain. The caterer reported 7.3% first-quarter organic revenue growth and reiterated its 2026 outlook. Shares hit a three-year low amid investor concerns over AI’s impact on office catering. Compass will switch its London trading currency to U.S. dollars from April 1.

Meta stock faces an AI split: ad gains vs a $135 billion bill

Artificial Intelligence·NASDAQ:META·Stock Market

7 February 2026

Meta shares dropped 1.3% to $661.46 on Friday after the company projected 2026 capital spending of up to $135 billion, raising investor concerns over cash flow. Meta reported Q4 revenue of $59.89 billion, up 24% year-over-year, with ad impressions rising 18%. Analysts remain divided on whether AI-driven ad gains can offset the steep spending ramp.

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