Today: 7 February 2026
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Khadija Saeed

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

Utilities stocks brace for Fed week as XLU slides and yields stay high

Utilities stocks brace for Fed week as XLU slides and yields stay high

U.S. utilities stocks fell this week, with the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF closing at $42.56, down about 2%. The S&P 500 Utilities index dropped 0.4% Friday and 2% for the week. The 10-year Treasury yield ended at 4.24%, pressuring dividend-heavy utilities. NextEra Energy reports earnings Jan. 27.
24 January 2026
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Energy stocks close higher as oil jumps on Iran sanctions; XLE, Exxon and Chevron in focus next week

Energy stocks close higher as oil jumps on Iran sanctions; XLE, Exxon and Chevron in focus next week

Energy shares rose Friday as crude prices surged nearly 3% on Iran supply concerns and new sanctions. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) gained 0.6% to $49.19, while Brent settled at $65.88 and WTI at $61.07. Exxon Mobil closed up 1.0%. SLB slipped 0.3% despite beating profit forecasts and raising its dividend.
24 January 2026
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Healthcare stocks brace for a busy week as XLV slips, UnitedHealth earnings and Capitol Hill heat loom

Healthcare stocks brace for a busy week as XLV slips, UnitedHealth earnings and Capitol Hill heat loom

XLV fell 0.51% to $157.48 Friday, trailing the S&P 500, which ended flat. Health insurer CEOs faced House scrutiny over rising premiums and consolidation, with UnitedHealth pledging ACA rebates in 2026. UnitedHealth reports earnings Jan. 27, Regeneron on Jan. 30. Corcept Therapeutics jumped 45% after positive ovarian cancer trial results.
24 January 2026
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Basic Materials Stocks head into Monday near a 52-week high as metals jump again

Basic Materials Stocks head into Monday near a 52-week high as metals jump again

Silver surged past $100 an ounce and copper futures jumped nearly 3% Friday, fueling gains in mining stocks. The Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF closed up 0.9% at $49.97, just below its 52-week high. Freeport-McMoRan rose 2.7% after beating profit forecasts despite lower output. Investors await the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 meeting and a wave of earnings reports next week.
24 January 2026
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Communication services stocks head into Fed week with Meta under UK probe — what moved XLC

Communication services stocks head into Fed week with Meta under UK probe — what moved XLC

The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLC) closed at $116.96 Friday, up 0.6% after a volatile week. Meta rose 1.72% to $658.76, while Alphabet’s Class C shares slipped 0.73%. UK regulator Ofcom opened an investigation into Meta’s handling of WhatsApp for Business data. Intel shares plunged 17% after a weak forecast, weighing on tech sentiment.
24 January 2026
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Industrial stocks ETF XLI slips after tariff whiplash; GE Aerospace and Fed decision set up week ahead

Industrial stocks ETF XLI slips after tariff whiplash; GE Aerospace and Fed decision set up week ahead

U.S. industrial stocks fell Friday, with the Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) closing down 0.77% at $164.22. Caterpillar dropped 3.4%, while GE Aerospace dipped 0.4% after reporting a 2026 adjusted EPS forecast slightly above estimates. Boeing edged up 0.3%. Tariffs and interest rates remain in focus as trading resumes Monday.
24 January 2026
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Consumer cyclical stocks close higher into the weekend as XLY price steadies ahead of Fed, Tesla earnings

Consumer cyclical stocks close higher into the weekend as XLY price steadies ahead of Fed, Tesla earnings

The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) rose 0.4% Friday to $123.13, up 0.7% for the week, led by Amazon and Tesla. The broader market ended mixed, with Intel plunging 17% after a weak forecast. Investors now await the Federal Reserve’s policy decision and Tesla’s earnings report, both set for Jan. 28. S&P 500 valuations remain elevated, with consumer discretionary earnings down year-over-year.
24 January 2026
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First Citizens stock slide puts regional bank shares in the spotlight ahead of Fed decision

First Citizens stock slide puts regional bank shares in the spotlight ahead of Fed decision

First Citizens BancShares fell 8.5% Friday to $2,016.56 after forecasting 2026 net interest income below analyst estimates. The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF dropped 3.3% as regional banks slid ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision next week. First Citizens cited rate cut risks and steady credit quality, while Huntington Bancshares projected record net interest income for 2026.
24 January 2026
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Intel’s 17% slide puts tech stocks on notice ahead of Fed, Microsoft and Apple earnings

Intel’s 17% slide puts tech stocks on notice ahead of Fed, Microsoft and Apple earnings

Intel shares fell 17% Friday after a weak outlook, while the Nasdaq rose 0.28% on gains in Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Nvidia. The S&P 500 was flat; the Dow dropped 0.58%. Microsoft, Meta, Tesla, and Apple report earnings January 28–29. The Federal Reserve meets January 27–28, with a policy statement due Wednesday.
24 January 2026
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Data center stocks brace for a “show-me” week as Intel flags AI chip bottlenecks

Data center stocks brace for a “show-me” week as Intel flags AI chip bottlenecks

Vertiv rose 0.8% to $182.49 Friday, while Equinix slipped 0.1% and Digital Realty edged up 0.3%. The S&P 500 ended flat as the Dow fell 0.58% and the Nasdaq gained 0.28%. Intel missed demand for AI server chips and lowered its outlook. Amazon is planning new layoffs at AWS and other units next week, Reuters reported.
24 January 2026
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Cloud computing stocks face a packed week as Amazon job cuts loom and Fed meets

Cloud computing stocks face a packed week as Amazon job cuts loom and Fed meets

Amazon will cut more corporate jobs at AWS as soon as Tuesday, part of a plan to eliminate about 30,000 roles. Cloud-focused ETFs ended Friday little changed, while Microsoft rose 3.3% and Amazon gained 2.1%. Intel fell 17% after weak guidance. Autodesk will cut 7% of staff and raised its outlook.
24 January 2026
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Space and defense stocks face earnings week after Karman outlook bump, AST launch plan

Space and defense stocks face earnings week after Karman outlook bump, AST launch plan

The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF fell 0.3% to $235.07 Friday as sector stocks closed mixed ahead of major earnings. Karman Holdings dropped 3% after raising its outlook and announcing a $220 million acquisition. AST SpaceMobile slipped 2.4% after setting a late-February satellite launch. L3Harris edged down 0.3% but raised its dividend to $1.25 per share.
24 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

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

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

7 February 2026
New York, Feb 7, 2026, 05:50 EST — Market closed. Exxon Mobil shares ended Friday up 2.03% at $149.05, notching a fresh 52-week high as energy stocks tracked a broad U.S. equity rally into the weekend. (MarketWatch) The setup for next week looks less tidy. Oil has been swinging on U.S.-Iran headlines, and that tends to spill straight into big integrated names like Exxon. Brent settled at $68.05 a barrel on Friday while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the U.S. benchmark, finished at $63.55. “We keep going back and forth on this Iran situation,” said John Kilduff, a partner at
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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