Khadija Saeed

A dedicated markets reporter, she covers stocks, macroeconomics, and major business developments with a sharp eye for detail and accuracy.

Energy stocks close at fresh records as oil jumps on Iran fears; what to watch this week

Energy stocks close at fresh records as oil jumps on Iran fears; what to watch this week

The S&P 500 energy index closed at a record high Friday, up 0.6%, as oil prices jumped nearly 3% after new U.S. sanctions on Iranian exports and supply concerns. Brent settled at $65.88 a barrel, U.S. crude at $61.07. Chevron’s Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan remains shut after a fire. Exxon Mobil rose 1% to $134.97; Occidental gained 2.2% to $44.10.
First Citizens BancShares stock price dives as interest-income outlook bites, with Fed week ahead

First Citizens BancShares stock price dives as interest-income outlook bites, with Fed week ahead

First Citizens BancShares shares fell 8.49% Friday to $2,016.56 after the bank forecast 2026 net interest income below analyst estimates. The KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index dropped about 3%. CFO Craig Nix cited “declining yield despite asset growth.” Investors are watching the Fed’s decision and U.S. inflation data this week for signals on interest rates.
Meta earnings, Waymo probe and Netflix deal talk put communication services stocks in focus

Meta earnings, Waymo probe and Netflix deal talk put communication services stocks in focus

The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC) rose 0.6% to $116.96, with Meta and Alphabet making up over 40% of its weight. Meta gained 1.7%, Alphabet fell 0.8%, and Netflix jumped 3.1% on Friday. Meta will block teens from its AI characters, while Alphabet’s Waymo faces a federal probe over robotaxi safety. A smartglasses firm sued Meta and EssilorLuxottica for alleged tech copying.
Cloud computing stocks brace for Fed, Microsoft earnings after CPQ slips

Cloud computing stocks brace for Fed, Microsoft earnings after CPQ slips

The ISE CTA Cloud Computing Index closed Friday at 1,373.63, down 0.18%. The First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY) finished at $123.35, off 24 cents, while WisdomTree’s WCLD slipped 0.18% to $32.372. Investors await the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 27–28 meeting and Microsoft’s earnings report on Jan. 28.
Healthcare stocks brace for a key week: XLV slips as Wegovy pill data and UnitedHealth earnings loom

Healthcare stocks brace for a key week: XLV slips as Wegovy pill data and UnitedHealth earnings loom

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) fell 0.5% to $157.48 Friday, with Eli Lilly down 2.1%. Johnson & Johnson and UnitedHealth posted small gains. Traders are watching obesity-drug demand and a crowded earnings calendar next week. The FDA linked ByHeart’s recalled infant formula to a multi-state botulism outbreak.
Power-Price Shock Hits Data Center Stocks: Equinix, Digital Realty, Vertiv in Focus This Week

Power-Price Shock Hits Data Center Stocks: Equinix, Digital Realty, Vertiv in Focus This Week

Wholesale electricity prices in Dominion Energy’s Virginia area spiked above $1,800 per megawatt-hour Sunday, up from $200 the day before, as Winter Storm Fern drove demand beyond forecasts. PJM Interconnection expects record winter demand Tuesday. Data center shares ended mixed Friday, with Intel plunging 17% after weak guidance. Investors await Big Tech earnings and the Fed’s rate decision next week.
Quantum computing stocks slid Friday — what could move IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave and QCi next week

Quantum computing stocks slid Friday — what could move IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave and QCi next week

Quantum computing stocks fell sharply Friday, with D-Wave down 6.5% and Rigetti off 5.9%. Rigetti announced an $8.4 million order from India’s Centre for Development of Advanced Computing. D-Wave completed its acquisition of Quantum Circuits and plans to unveil its updated roadmap at its Jan. 27-28 conference. The Russell 2000 index dropped 1.8%, weighing on small-cap tech shares.
Tesla’s robotaxi and subscription shift puts EV stocks on edge ahead of a Fed-and-earnings crunch

Tesla’s robotaxi and subscription shift puts EV stocks on edge ahead of a Fed-and-earnings crunch

Tesla shares closed nearly unchanged Friday at $449.06, down 0.07%. The company will report quarterly earnings Wednesday after the Federal Reserve meeting concludes. Rivian, Lucid, and Nio all fell over 2% late last week. A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from halting $5 billion in EV charger funding.
Oil stocks face Monday test after crude hits 1-week high on Iran risk, with Big Oil earnings ahead

Oil stocks face Monday test after crude hits 1-week high on Iran risk, with Big Oil earnings ahead

Brent settled at $65.88 and U.S. WTI at $61.07 on Friday, both up nearly 3% amid renewed U.S.-Iran supply concerns. Exxon Mobil rose 1%, ConocoPhillips 1.5%, while Chevron was flat. A Trafigura-chartered tanker left Venezuela for the U.S. with 1 million barrels under a new supply deal. Baker Hughes reported the U.S. rig count at 544, down 32 from a year ago.
USA Rare Earth stock price in focus as report flags $1.6 billion U.S. stake deal for rare metals play

USA Rare Earth stock price in focus as report flags $1.6 billion U.S. stake deal for rare metals play

The Trump administration plans to buy a 10% stake in USA Rare Earth as part of a $1.6 billion deal, sources told Reuters. A separate $1 billion private investment and an investor call are set for Monday. USA Rare Earth shares closed up 9.1% Friday at $24.77. The White House and the company declined to comment.
Natural gas prices surged this week — what could move Henry Hub next

Natural gas prices surged this week — what could move Henry Hub next

U.S. Henry Hub natural gas futures closed at $5.275 per mmBtu Friday, up 4.6%, as traders braced for Winter Storm Fern and possible supply disruptions. Spot power prices on PJM’s grid topped $3,000 per megawatt-hour. Nearly 3 Bcf per day of gas output was frozen by Friday, with more disruptions expected Jan. 26. EIA reported storage at 3,065 Bcf, about 6% above the five-year average.

Stock Market Today

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

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

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

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

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.
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