Today: 14 March 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.

Basic materials stocks jump to start 2026 — XLB rises as copper steadies and miners climb

Basic materials stocks jump to start 2026 — XLB rises as copper steadies and miners climb

U.S. basic materials stocks rose on the first trading day of 2026, with the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLB) up 1.7% to $46.12. Freeport-McMoRan gained 2.25%, Dow Inc climbed 3.81%, and copper futures settled 0.18% higher at $5.64 a pound. The S&P 500 added 0.19%. Investors are watching next week’s labor data and Fed rate cut signals.
3 January 2026
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Healthcare Stocks Today: XLV edges up as drugmakers raise U.S. list prices on 350 medicines

Healthcare Stocks Today: XLV edges up as drugmakers raise U.S. list prices on 350 medicines

U.S. drugmakers are raising list prices on at least 350 branded medicines for 2026, with a median increase of about 4%, Reuters reported. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) closed up 0.46% at $155.51 Friday. Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson all posted gains. Traders are watching next week’s U.S. jobs data and upcoming healthcare earnings.
3 January 2026
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Defense and space stocks jump to start 2026 as Boeing, Rocket Lab lead gains

Defense and space stocks jump to start 2026 as Boeing, Rocket Lab lead gains

U.S. aerospace and defense stocks surged Friday, with Boeing up 4.91% after a $2.7 billion Pentagon contract for Apache helicopter support. Lockheed Martin rose 2.77%, Rocket Lab gained 8.93%, and Intuitive Machines climbed 10.17%. The sector tracked geopolitical headlines and new White House policy on commercial space. The Dow and S&P 500 ended higher; Nasdaq slipped.
3 January 2026
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Rare metals stock CRML jumps 17% — what’s driving Critical Metals after the 2026 open

Rare metals stock CRML jumps 17% — what’s driving Critical Metals after the 2026 open

Critical Metals Corp shares jumped 17% to $8.12 on Friday, trading nearly 9.6 million shares amid heavy interest in its Greenland Tanbreez project and supply contracts. CEO Tony Sage said 75% of planned output is already pre-sold, with the rest expected by early 2026. The stock ranged from $7.02 to $8.47 during the session. Investors are watching for U.S. macro data and policy signals next week.
3 January 2026
Data center stocks kick off 2026 with Vertiv jump after Barclays upgrade

Data center stocks kick off 2026 with Vertiv jump after Barclays upgrade

Vertiv Holdings surged 8.4% and Applied Digital jumped 14.6% Friday as data center infrastructure stocks outpaced real estate landlords on the first trading day of 2026. Barclays upgraded Vertiv to Overweight, citing its 2026 outlook. Digital Realty and Iron Mountain edged up, while Equinix slipped. Investors watched for signals on data center demand and upcoming earnings reports.
3 January 2026
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Quantum computing stocks surge to start 2026: D-Wave, Rigetti, IonQ lead — what investors watch next

Quantum computing stocks surge to start 2026: D-Wave, Rigetti, IonQ lead — what investors watch next

Pure-play quantum computing stocks jumped 4%–8% Friday, far outpacing the Russell 2000’s 1.1% gain. D-Wave Quantum closed up 7.6%, Quantum Computing Inc 7.3%, Rigetti 6.6%, and IonQ 4.3%. The rally came as investors rotated into higher-risk names at the start of 2026. Focus shifts to CES 2026 demos and next week’s U.S. jobs report.
3 January 2026
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Big Tech stocks end first session of 2026 mixed as Tesla slides on deliveries, chips rebound

Big Tech stocks end first session of 2026 mixed as Tesla slides on deliveries, chips rebound

Tesla dropped 2.6% after reporting an 8.6% annual fall in deliveries, while Nvidia rose 1.2% as chip stocks rallied. The Dow gained 0.66%, the S&P 500 added 0.19%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.03%. Treasury yields climbed, with the 10-year at 4.191%. Investors await next week’s U.S. labor-market data after delays from the government shutdown.
3 January 2026
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Natural gas price today slips on warmer outlook; UNG dips while LNG-linked stocks hold up

Natural gas price today slips on warmer outlook; UNG dips while LNG-linked stocks hold up

U.S. natural gas futures fell 1.84% to $3.618 per mmBtu Friday as forecasts showed warmer weather through mid-January. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a storage withdrawal of 38 bcf last week, below analyst expectations. The United States Natural Gas Fund dropped 1.6%. Production and LNG export flows hit record highs in December, according to LSEG.
3 January 2026
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Wall Street kicks off 2026 higher as chipmakers rally, Tesla slides on deliveries

Wall Street kicks off 2026 higher as chipmakers rally, Tesla slides on deliveries

The Dow gained 319 points, or 0.66%, to 48,382.39 on Friday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.19% and the Nasdaq slipped 0.03%. Semiconductor and industrial shares led gains as Tesla fell 2.6% after reporting a 15.6% drop in fourth-quarter deliveries and losing its top EV-seller spot to BYD. Investors now await U.S. jobs data on Jan. 9 and inflation figures on Jan. 13.
3 January 2026
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Dow Jones today: Boeing, Caterpillar power blue-chip rise as jobs report looms

Dow Jones today: Boeing, Caterpillar power blue-chip rise as jobs report looms

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 319.10 points, or 0.7%, to 48,382.39 on Friday, while the S&P 500 gained 0.2% and the Nasdaq slipped 0.03%. Industrials led the Dow’s advance, with Caterpillar and Boeing together accounting for over 200 points of the rise. Chip stocks rallied, but Tesla shares fell about 2% after reporting an 8.6% drop in 2025 deliveries. President Trump delayed higher tariffs on some Chinese imports for a year.
3 January 2026
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AST SpaceMobile stock rockets nearly 15% — BlueBird 7 launch prep back in focus

AST SpaceMobile stock rockets nearly 15% — BlueBird 7 launch prep back in focus

AST SpaceMobile shares jumped 14.9% to $83.47 Friday after the company said its BlueBird 7 satellite arrived in Florida for launch integration. The stock move followed the recent BlueBird 6 launch from India and comes as investors await confirmation of the next launch window. AST reported $14.7 million in Q3 2025 revenue and $1.2 billion in cash as of September 30.
3 January 2026
CrowdStrike stock drops 3% to $453 as 2026 begins — here’s what investors are watching next

CrowdStrike stock drops 3% to $453 as 2026 begins — here’s what investors are watching next

CrowdStrike shares fell 3.2% to $453.58 on Friday, underperforming a slightly higher S&P 500. Other cybersecurity stocks, including Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet, also declined. Investors trimmed high-valuation software holdings amid renewed uncertainty over Federal Reserve rate cuts. Key U.S. economic data and CrowdStrike’s earnings are the next major events.
3 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • Live and Feeder Cattle Futures Show Mixed Trade Amid Export Growth
    March 14, 2026, 12:34 AM EDT. Live cattle futures held steady on Friday, fluctuating within 15 cents of unchanged, with cash trade mostly at $372 dressed and $235-236 live. Feeder cattle futures faced losses up to $1.57 in front months, with the CME Feeder Cattle Index dropping $3.83 to $360.97. USDA data showed cattle slaughter down 8,000 from last week. Export sales reached 25,443 MT, the highest since February 2023, led by South Korea and Japan. Wholesale boxed beef prices rose, with Choice boxes increasing 16 cents to $397.25 and Select boxes up 4 cents to $390.86. Weekly APHIS data reported new New World Screwworm cases in Mexican cattle near the border, adding to ongoing regional concerns.
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