Khadija Saeed

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

Palantir stock falls after insider sale notice as investors eye jobs report and Fed signals

Palantir stock falls after insider sale notice as investors eye jobs report and Fed signals

NEW YORK, January 4, 2026, 16:48 ET — Market closed Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR.O) shares were last down 5.6% after Friday’s close, as investors head into the first full week of 2026 reassessing richly valued “AI trade” stocks amid shifting interest-rate expectations. Why it matters now: Palantir sits at the crossroads of government software spending and the market’s enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, and its valuation can swing sharply when investors recalibrate how long the Federal Reserve will keep borrowing costs restrictive. Investors “might be a little bit more conscious about some of the valuations that they’re paying for some of
Amazon stock slips into 2026 — here’s what Wall Street watches next for AMZN

Amazon stock slips into 2026 — here’s what Wall Street watches next for AMZN

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 4:25 PM ET — Market closed Amazon.com, Inc. shares (AMZN) ended Friday down 1.9% at $226.50, starting 2026 on the back foot after a choppy session that ranged from $224.71 to $235.39. The move matters now because investors are resetting positions after year-end and quickly repricing growth stocks around the interest-rate outlook. Small shifts in expectations on rates can swing valuation for big tech names like Amazon, where much of the investment case rests on future cash flows. Friday’s trade reflected a split market. Chip stocks rallied, but consumer discretionary shares — companies tied to
Microsoft stock drops 2% to start 2026 — what could move MSFT next week

Microsoft stock drops 2% to start 2026 — what could move MSFT next week

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 16:16 ET — Market closed Microsoft Corp shares slipped on Friday, falling 2.21% to close at $472.94 after trading between $470.19 and $487.15. The drop matters because Microsoft is one of the biggest weights in U.S. equity indexes and a bellwether for the “AI trade,” shorthand for bets that artificial intelligence will drive a new leg of growth. That makes the stock particularly sensitive to shifts in interest-rate expectations. Higher rates tend to pressure richly valued growth names because they reduce the present value of profits expected further out. Friday’s tape underscored the split. The
Apple stock heads into Monday under a valuation spotlight after Raymond James turns neutral on AAPL

Apple stock heads into Monday under a valuation spotlight after Raymond James turns neutral on AAPL

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 16:23 ET — Market closed Apple Inc shares closed Friday down about 0.3% at $271.01, giving back a slice of their late-2025 run. Raymond James resumed coverage with a “market perform” rating — Wall Street shorthand for a neutral view — citing a rich valuation and a thin near-term catalyst calendar, according to an Investors Business Daily report. The stock is valued at roughly 30 times trailing earnings, a price-to-earnings ratio that measures what investors pay for each dollar of profit. Investors The timing matters because Apple’s next big checkpoint is its holiday-quarter update, when
Tesla stock: What to watch after Q4 deliveries miss and BYD takes the EV crown

Tesla stock: What to watch after Q4 deliveries miss and BYD takes the EV crown

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 4:16 PM ET — Market closed Tesla shares closed at $438.07 on Friday, down 2.6%, after the electric-vehicle maker reported a bigger-than-expected drop in fourth-quarter deliveries, a filing showed. The update also underscored that Tesla has ceded the annual EV sales lead to China’s BYD. SEC The delivery report matters now because it is the market’s first clear checkpoint for Tesla demand after U.S. federal EV tax credits ended in September, removing a key lever that had helped pull forward orders earlier in 2025. It also lands as investors reset positioning for the new year
Micron stock jumps 10% on Bernstein’s $330 target — what MU investors watch before Monday’s open

Micron stock jumps 10% on Bernstein’s $330 target — what MU investors watch before Monday’s open

New York, Jan 4, 2026, 16:21 ET — Market closed Micron Technology (MU) heads into Monday’s U.S. reopen after a sharp Friday rally that lifted the memory-chip maker 10.5% to $315.42. The stock hit an intraday high of $319.60, reflecting heavy momentum into the first full week of 2026. The move matters because Micron sits near the center of the “AI buildout” trade: more servers and accelerators typically mean more demand for memory chips, which can lift prices and margins when supply is tight. Investors have treated memory pricing as the swing factor, and Friday’s jump suggests the market is
Nvidia stock heads into CES week as insider sale filing lands and key data looms

Nvidia stock heads into CES week as insider sale filing lands and key data looms

NEW YORK, January 4, 2026, 16:19 ET — Market closed Nvidia shares closed up 1.26% at $188.85 on Friday, the first trading day of 2026, as semiconductor stocks rebounded. Yahoo Finance The move matters because Nvidia (NVDA.O) remains a bellwether for the AI trade and a heavyweight in U.S. equity indexes. When investors rotate into or out of chip stocks, Nvidia often sets the tone. With U.S. markets shut on Sunday, traders head into Monday with a tight set of near-term catalysts: a high-profile CES appearance by CEO Jensen Huang and fresh U.S. economic data that can shift interest-rate expectations.
Lumentum (LITE) stock jumps near a new high — what traders are watching next week

Lumentum (LITE) stock jumps near a new high — what traders are watching next week

New York, Jan 4, 2026, 15:50 ET — Market closed Lumentum Holdings shares rose 4.7% on Friday to close at $386.11, lifting the optical-components maker toward its highs as 2026 began. The stock last traded at that level in the regular session, with U.S. markets shut on Sunday. The move matters because it leaves Lumentum extended into the first full week of January, when fresh economic data could sway rate expectations and risk appetite. Those macro swings have been moving “AI infrastructure” trades — the group that has helped power Lumentum’s run. Reuters “Investors might be a little bit more
Uber stock set for Monday spotlight after UK ‘taxi tax’ workaround report

Uber stock set for Monday spotlight after UK ‘taxi tax’ workaround report

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 15:59 ET — Market closed Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER.N) is heading into Monday’s session with a fresh UK tax headline on the tape, after a report said it rewrote driver contracts outside London to limit the impact of Britain’s new “taxi tax” on ride-hailing fares. Uber shares last closed up 1.41% at $82.86 on Friday. The Economic Times The UK change matters now because it goes straight to pricing power and unit economics in a key international market. VAT, or value-added tax, is a sales tax, and rule changes can quickly flow through to rider
Citigroup stock rises into 2026 as rate bets shift — what to watch before earnings

Citigroup stock rises into 2026 as rate bets shift — what to watch before earnings

NEW YORK, January 4, 2026, 15:44 ET — Market closed Citigroup’s (C.N) stock closed up 1.7% on Friday at $118.70, ending the first session of 2026 ahead of the broader market’s modest gains. Wells Fargo rose about 2.1%, Bank of America added 1.7% and JPMorgan gained roughly 1.0% on the day, as the Dow and S&P 500 finished higher while the Nasdaq was little changed. Reuters Why it matters now: big banks are back to trading off interest-rate expectations, and Treasury yields edged higher as 2026 began. Investors are also recalibrating around the Federal Reserve’s path after disruptions to the
Texas Instruments stock rises with chip rebound — the catalysts investors watch next

Texas Instruments stock rises with chip rebound — the catalysts investors watch next

New York, January 4, 2026, 15:46 ET — Market closed Texas Instruments (TXN.O) shares rose 2.3% on Friday to $177.52, tracking a broad rebound in chipmakers that helped Wall Street start 2026 higher. With U.S. markets closed on Sunday, the question for Monday’s session is whether the semiconductor bounce holds as investors brace for a heavy week of economic data and shifting expectations for interest rates. That matters for Texas Instruments because its analog and embedded chips are closely tied to industrial and automotive demand, areas that tend to react quickly when growth expectations or financing conditions change. Chip stocks
Qualcomm stock gets CES spotlight after Toyota RAV4 chip news and CFO sale notice

Qualcomm stock gets CES spotlight after Toyota RAV4 chip news and CFO sale notice

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 15:40 ET — Market closed Qualcomm shares ended Friday up about 1.1% at $172.98 after the company said Toyota’s new RAV4 is now available with its Snapdragon Digital Chassis platform. Why this matters now is timing. Qualcomm heads into CES week with investors watching for signals on its push beyond smartphones into PCs and cars, two markets where design wins can translate into multi-year revenue streams. CES Macro is also on traders’ screens ahead of the next U.S. session. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Anna Paulson said on Saturday that further rate cuts could

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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