Today: 17 April 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.

Energy stocks jump to start 2026 as Exxon, Chevron rise; OPEC+ and Venezuela in focus

Energy stocks jump to start 2026 as Exxon, Chevron rise; OPEC+ and Venezuela in focus

U.S. energy shares rose Friday, with oilfield services and exploration stocks outperforming as crude prices slipped. Exxon Mobil gained 1.9% and Chevron rose 2.3%, while SLB jumped 4.8%. West Texas Intermediate settled at $57.32 a barrel, down 0.17%. Investors are watching an OPEC+ meeting Sunday and developments in Venezuela after President Trump signaled support for U.S. investment.
3 January 2026
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Utilities stocks punch higher in 2026 opener as XLU beats market; NextEra filing in focus

Utilities stocks punch higher in 2026 opener as XLU beats market; NextEra filing in focus

U.S. utility stocks rose Friday, with the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) up 1.2% to $43.18 despite a climb in Treasury yields. NextEra Energy kept its 2025–2026 earnings and dividend growth targets unchanged in a regulatory filing. The Dow and S&P 500 ended higher, while the Nasdaq slipped. Traders are focused on next week’s U.S. jobs report and Federal Reserve rate signals.
3 January 2026
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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

  • Symbotic (SYM) Valuation Shows Mixed Signals Amid Strong Backlog and Cash Flow Models
    April 17, 2026, 4:47 AM EDT. Symbotic (SYM) shares hover near $60.56 after a strong 197% total return over the past year and 19.9% revenue growth. The company boasts a record $22.4 billion backlog, reflecting robust demand for its warehouse automation systems amid rising e-commerce adoption. Analysts' valuation models diverge: a narrative-based fair value of $64.05 suggests the stock is 5.4% undervalued, relying on rapid backlog conversion and margin expansion. In contrast, a discounted cash flow (DCF) model values shares at $47.64, signaling overvaluation based on cash flow projections. This valuation split highlights uncertain assumptions about Symbotic's ability to translate its backlog into sustainable cash earnings, with risks including customer concentration and contract delays.

Latest article

Wall Street Feels the Heat (and Thrill): Fed Cuts, Tariffs & Mega-Mergers Set NYSE Buzz

US Stock Market Today: Live Updates 17.04.2026

17 April 2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: April 17, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: April 17, 2026, 4:51 AM EDT India's FX Curbs Raise Hedging Costs, Weigh on Bonds and Equities amid Iran War Risks April 17, 2026, 4:51 AM EDT. **Foreign institutional investors (FIIs)** are growing cautious on India as new **foreign exchange (FX) restrictions** by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raise hedging costs for rupee exposure. The RBI's curbs, aimed at limiting arbitrage trades, have driven up one-year hedging costs by around 30 basis points onshore and nearly 70 basis points offshore via non-deliverable forward (NDF) markets, making Indian bonds less attractive.
Hims & Hers Health Stock Jumps as FDA Reconsiders Peptide Restrictions

Hims & Hers Health Stock Jumps as FDA Reconsiders Peptide Restrictions

16 April 2026
Hims & Hers Health shares rose to $26.65 Thursday after the FDA said it would reconsider restrictions on several peptides, removing 12 from a high-risk list and scheduling a July review of seven more. The move follows Hims’ March decision to stop advertising compounded GLP-1 drugs and expand branded offerings through Novo Nordisk. The company acquired a California peptide facility last year to bolster supply.
NuScale Power Stock Whipsaws After U.S. Opens Door to Nuclear Loans, Space Reactor Push

NuScale Power Stock Whipsaws After U.S. Opens Door to Nuclear Loans, Space Reactor Push

16 April 2026
NuScale Power shares jumped to $13.23 before falling back to $11.52 Thursday after the White House ordered NASA to start a space-reactor program and Energy Secretary Chris Wright said initial U.S. reactors would likely get federal loans. NuScale remains the only U.S. firm with an approved small modular reactor design but has yet to secure firm orders or financing.
SoFi Technologies Stock Rises as FedNow Instant Transfers Set Up April 29 Earnings Test

SoFi Technologies Stock Rises as FedNow Instant Transfers Set Up April 29 Earnings Test

16 April 2026
SoFi Technologies shares rose 1.5% Thursday after launching instant bank transfers via its Galileo platform, allowing money to move between SoFi and outside banks in seconds. The stock traded near $19.08 in New York. Investors await first-quarter results April 29, with SoFi guiding to $1.04 billion in adjusted net revenue and 12 cents per share in adjusted earnings.
D-Wave Quantum Stock Jumps Again as Nvidia’s Ising Launch Reignites Quantum Rally

D-Wave Quantum Stock Jumps Again as Nvidia’s Ising Launch Reignites Quantum Rally

16 April 2026
D-Wave Quantum shares climbed about 5% Thursday, extending a 22.6% surge after Nvidia launched Ising, a new AI model family for quantum computing. D-Wave traded at $21.81, up from last year’s lows, and reported 2025 revenue of $24.6 million with first-quarter 2026 bookings topping $32.8 million. The company completed its $250 million Quantum Circuits acquisition in January. Market cap stood near $8.4 billion.
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