Khadija Saeed

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

Why Exxon Mobil stock is up today: Venezuela shock lifts XOM as oil prices firm

Why Exxon Mobil stock is up today: Venezuela shock lifts XOM as oil prices firm

New York, January 5, 2026, 12:39 PM EST — Regular session Exxon Mobil Corp shares rose about 2% to $125.08 in midday trading on Monday, as energy stocks gained after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. Analysts at J.P. Morgan said the upheaval could improve the odds Exxon recovers arbitration damages — compensation ordered by an arbitration panel after a legal dispute — tied to assets seized in 2007. Reuters The move matters because Venezuela holds roughly 17% of global oil reserves, and any shift in U.S. sanctions policy would reshape long-dated supply expectations and, in
Carvana stock jumps 8% as Wall Street rebounds; insider sale notices on watch

Carvana stock jumps 8% as Wall Street rebounds; insider sale notices on watch

New York, Jan 5, 2026, 12:23 (EST) — Regular session Carvana Co. shares climbed 8.4% to $433.75 in midday New York trading on Monday, after swinging between $400.06 and $433.75. Volume was about 2.14 million shares. The move matters because Carvana has traded as a high-beta proxy for consumer credit and risk appetite, leaving it prone to sharp intraday swings as investors recalibrate rate expectations early in the year. A calendar packed with U.S. economic data has raised the stakes for rate-sensitive names. Reuters The broader market was higher, with the S&P 500-linked SPY up about 0.8% and the tech-heavy
5 January 2026
GE Vernova stock today: Jan. 28 earnings date set as Vietnam LNG plant starts operations

GE Vernova stock today: Jan. 28 earnings date set as Vietnam LNG plant starts operations

New York, January 5, 2026, 12:22 EST — Regular session GE Vernova Inc (GEV.N) shares slipped on Monday after the power-equipment maker scheduled its fourth-quarter and full-year results for Jan. 28. The stock was down 0.7% at $674.74 by 12:22 p.m. EST, after trading between $669.84 and $698.00. GE Vernova said it will release results before the market opens and host a webcast at 7:30 a.m. ET. GE Vernova The date pins down the next near-term catalyst for a stock that investors have tied to demand for reliable electricity and grid upgrades. Traders are looking for fresh confirmation that orders
Mastercard stock jumps as Dow hits record: what to know before Friday’s jobs report

Mastercard stock jumps as Dow hits record: what to know before Friday’s jobs report

New York, January 5, 2026, 12:23 EST — Regular session Mastercard Inc shares were up 2.3% at $576.15 in midday trading on Monday. Peer Visa rose 3.2% to $357.40. The gains came as Wall Street’s main indexes climbed and the Dow hit a record, boosted by financial stocks, after a U.S. military strike captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported. “With the markets taking geopolitics in stride so far, the first trading week of the New Year may likely revolve around whether tech will find its footing,” Chris Larkin, managing director at E*TRADE at Morgan Stanley, wrote. Reuters Investors now
5 January 2026
Visa stock jumps more than 3% as financials rally; payrolls and Visa’s annual meeting loom

Visa stock jumps more than 3% as financials rally; payrolls and Visa’s annual meeting loom

New York, January 5, 2026, 12:23 EST — Regular session Visa Inc. shares climbed 3.2% to $357.40 in midday trading on Monday, outperforming the broader U.S. market. The move matters now because Wall Street’s early-2026 tone is being set by macro headlines and a heavy data calendar, with investors gauging how far the Federal Reserve can cut rates this year. Reuters For Visa, a bellwether for card spending, that backdrop can shift quickly: stronger economic data typically supports transaction growth, while higher rate expectations can pressure valuations across the financial sector. Reuters Visa’s advance came as U.S. equities rallied broadly
Adobe stock slips after Jefferies downgrade reignites AI monetization debate

Adobe stock slips after Jefferies downgrade reignites AI monetization debate

New York, January 5, 2026, 12:00 (EST) — Regular session Adobe shares fell on Monday after Jefferies downgraded the Photoshop maker to Hold and cut its price target. The stock was down 0.7% at $330.89 by midday in New York, after trading between $327.51 and $332.94. TipRanks The call lands as investors press Adobe for harder evidence that its AI features can add revenue, not just product usage. Jefferies pointed to rising competition in the lower end of Adobe’s market, where casual users have more AI-enabled alternatives to Creative Cloud subscriptions. Investing Jefferies’ software analyst Brent Thill urged clients to
5 January 2026
Costco stock (COST) jumps on Mizuho upgrade, $1,000 target as December sales update looms

Costco stock (COST) jumps on Mizuho upgrade, $1,000 target as December sales update looms

New York, January 5, 2026, 12:00 (EST) — Regular session Costco Wholesale Corp (COST.O) was up 2.2% at $873.54 in midday trading on Monday, after closing at $854.50 in the previous session. The move followed Mizuho’s upgrade of the warehouse-club retailer to Outperform from Neutral and a price-target increase to $1,000 from $950, with the firm adding Costco to its Top Picks list. “Shares have corrected ~20% on concerns that both membership and comp sales growth are slowing,” Mizuho analyst David Bellinger wrote. Streetinsider Those worries matter because comparable sales — revenue at stores open at least a year —
5 January 2026
Applied Materials stock hits a fresh record — what’s driving AMAT’s outsized rally today

Applied Materials stock hits a fresh record — what’s driving AMAT’s outsized rally today

New York, January 5, 2026, 11:59 ET — Regular session Applied Materials (AMAT.O) shares were up about 6.7% at $286.96 on Monday, after touching an intraday record of $287.68. The chipmaking-equipment supplier is a lever on capital spending: it sells wafer-fab tools, the machines used to manufacture semiconductors, so sentiment can swing quickly with expectations for customer spending. Reuters The stock’s move tracked a sharp bid for the equipment group. Lam Research rose about 6.3% and KLA gained roughly 7.2%, while U.S.-listed ASML added nearly 6%. In Europe, ASML shares climbed after Bernstein upgraded the stock to “outperform” from “market
Lam Research stock jumps 6% as chip-tool rally builds on BofA AI call ahead of CES

Lam Research stock jumps 6% as chip-tool rally builds on BofA AI call ahead of CES

New York, January 5, 2026, 11:54 (EST) — Regular session Lam Research stock climbed about 6.4% to $196.90 in late-morning New York trading on Monday, valuing the chip equipment maker at about $162 billion. The shares touched $198.34 earlier in the session, market data showed. The move matters because investors treat chip-tool suppliers as a direct read on capital spending by chipmakers building capacity for AI workloads. Lam sells the machines used to etch and deposit materials on silicon wafers, a key step in making advanced chips and memory. Optimism got a lift from a Bank of America note on
Coinbase stock jumps after Goldman upgrade as Bitcoin trades near $94,000 — what investors watch next

Coinbase stock jumps after Goldman upgrade as Bitcoin trades near $94,000 — what investors watch next

New York, Jan 5, 2026, 11:57 EST — Regular session Coinbase Global (COIN.O) shares rose about 7% to $253.63 in late-morning trade on Monday after a Goldman Sachs upgrade put the crypto exchange back on traders’ buy lists. The call matters now because crypto-linked stocks are moving with a fresh leg higher in bitcoin, and investors have been looking for reasons to own the larger “picks-and-shovels” names rather than smaller, more volatile plays. For Coinbase, the immediate question is whether the company can keep shifting its business mix toward steadier revenue streams as crypto trading ebbs and flows with price
UnitedHealth stock ticks up after Barclays target hike as UNH earnings near

UnitedHealth stock ticks up after Barclays target hike as UNH earnings near

New York, January 5, 2026, 11:37 EST — Regular session UnitedHealth Group Inc shares were up 0.8% at $338.94 in late-morning trading on Monday after Barclays raised its price target on the health insurer. The stock has traded between $333.86 and $340.29 so far, with about 2.4 million shares changing hands. The call hits with UnitedHealth set to release full-year 2025 results and 2026 financial guidance on Jan. 27 before the market opens. The company said it will host an 8:00 a.m. ET teleconference with analysts and investors the same day. UnitedHealth Group That timing matters because investors want a
CoreWeave stock rises after long-time bear upgrades CRWV — but target still sits below market

CoreWeave stock rises after long-time bear upgrades CRWV — but target still sits below market

New York, January 5, 2026, 11:27 EST — Regular session CoreWeave shares rose on Monday after D.A. Davidson upgraded the AI cloud company. The stock was up 1.2% at $80.31, after rising as much as 6.5% earlier in the session. Schaeffers Investment Research The shift matters because the call came from a shop that has been notably skeptical on CoreWeave, which has become a closely watched test case for debt-funded AI infrastructure buildouts. A change in tone from a prominent bear can move positioning quickly, even when the upgrade is not outright bullish. Schaeffers Investment Research It also lands with
5 January 2026

Stock Market Today

Apple stock price ends week higher as Dow hits 50,000; jobs and CPI loom next

Apple stock price ends week higher as Dow hits 50,000; jobs and CPI loom next

7 February 2026
Apple closed up 0.8% at $278.12 Friday, then slipped 0.3% after hours. The S&P 500 jumped 1.97% and the Nasdaq rose 2.18% as chipmakers rallied, while Amazon fell 5.6% on higher capex guidance. Investors await U.S. jobs data Feb. 11 and CPI Feb. 13. Apple’s next dividend is $0.26 per share, payable Feb. 12.
Broadcom Stock Gets a Google AI Spend Lift as Jefferies Sees 60% Upside

Broadcom Stock Gets a Google AI Spend Lift as Jefferies Sees 60% Upside

7 February 2026
Google raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $175 billion–$185 billion, with most spending expected on data-center chips. Broadcom shares rose about 2% after the announcement, while Nvidia and AMD slipped. Jefferies reiterated a buy rating on Broadcom, maintaining a $500 price target, implying a 62% upside from Wednesday’s close.
No $2,000 IRS stimulus check is coming in February 2026 — but Trump’s tariff-check talk keeps the rumors alive

No $2,000 IRS stimulus check is coming in February 2026 — but Trump’s tariff-check talk keeps the rumors alive

7 February 2026
The IRS has not announced new federal stimulus payments for February 2026, and Congress has not approved fresh checks. Trump told NBC he is considering $2,000 tariff rebate checks but has not committed, saying any payout would likely come later in 2026. The IRS warns taxpayers to ignore texts and emails about “stimulus payments” and verify notices through official channels.
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