Khadija Saeed

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

IREN stock jumps 13% as bitcoin trades near $90,000 and miners rally

IREN stock jumps 13% as bitcoin trades near $90,000 and miners rally

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 19:41 ET — After-hours Shares of IREN Limited (IREN.O) rose 13.1% and were last at $42.70 in after-hours trading on Friday, after earlier ranging between $38.10 and $42.96. About 30.5 million shares changed hands. The move came as bitcoin traded around $90,000, helping buoy crypto-linked equities at the start of 2026. Other U.S.-listed miners also advanced, with Marathon Digital, Riot Platforms and CleanSpark up roughly 10% to 14% on the day. The backdrop matters because bitcoin has been trading more like a risk asset — moving with broader appetite for higher-risk trades — rather than
Bank of America stock rises as yields climb; BAC traders eye payrolls and Jan. 14 earnings

Bank of America stock rises as yields climb; BAC traders eye payrolls and Jan. 14 earnings

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 19:38 ET — After-hours Bank of America shares were last up 1.7% at $55.95 in after-hours trading on Friday. The stock traded between $54.89 and $55.99 in the session, with about 25.5 million shares changing hands. The gain put the lender in step with a rate-driven shift that has investors re-pricing banks into the new year. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.195% as U.S. stocks seesawed to a mixed close, with the Dow up 0.67% and the S&P 500 up 0.26%, a Reuters market report said. ColoradoBiz The focus now turns to next week’s
Walmart stock rises 1.2% to start 2026 — what investors are watching next for WMT

Walmart stock rises 1.2% to start 2026 — what investors are watching next for WMT

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 19:29 ET — After-hours Walmart Inc (WMT) shares closed up $1.35, or 1.21%, at $112.76 on Friday and were unchanged in after-hours trading, the session after the 4 p.m. close when stocks can still change hands. MarketWatch The move matters because the first session of January often sets the tone for early-year positioning, especially in large, liquid stocks. Walmart is widely used by investors as a gauge of value-focused U.S. consumer demand. For Walmart, the near-term question is whether shoppers keep prioritizing essentials and lower prices as investors recalibrate expectations for growth and interest rates.
Nike stock today: NKE slips after hours as 2026 trading starts — what to watch next

Nike stock today: NKE slips after hours as 2026 trading starts — what to watch next

New York, Jan 2, 2026, 19:27 ET — After-hours Nike shares dipped 0.7% on Friday and were flat in after-hours trading — the electronic session after the 4 p.m. close — at $63.28. The stock traded between $62.58 and $64.18 in the session, with about 22.3 million shares changing hands. The move matters because Nike has been trying to convince investors that a brand and distribution reset can lift demand without dragging profitability lower. The stock’s 52-week range underscores how sensitive that debate has been, with shares having traded between $52.28 and $82.44. MarketWatch Nike’s latest quarterly filing showed why
Vertiv stock jumps 8% after Barclays upgrade calls pullback an “attractive entry point”

Vertiv stock jumps 8% after Barclays upgrade calls pullback an “attractive entry point”

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 19:22 ET — After-hours Vertiv Holdings (VRT) shares jumped 8.4% in after-hours trading on Friday after Barclays upgraded the data center power-and-cooling supplier and raised its price target to $200. Analyst Julian Mitchell called the pullback an “attractive entry point” and said the company’s outlook often leaves room to “beat and raise” — topping forecasts and lifting guidance. TipRanks The move puts Vertiv back in the spotlight early in the new year as investors recalibrate bets on the infrastructure behind artificial intelligence, where higher-power servers are driving demand for equipment that supports and cools data
ServiceNow stock slides again as 2026 starts — why NOW shares lagged and what traders watch next

ServiceNow stock slides again as 2026 starts — why NOW shares lagged and what traders watch next

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 19:15 ET — After-hours ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) shares fell 3.75% on Friday to close at $147.45, underperforming a broader market that finished mostly higher in the first session of 2026. MarketWatch The drop matters because investors began the year rotating into areas of the market showing the strongest momentum, with chip stocks rallying while several big tech names and some software shares struggled for traction. Reuters Joe Mazzola, head of trading and derivatives strategy at Charles Schwab, said investors “might be a little bit more conscious about some of the valuations that they’re paying for
Applied Materials stock jumps on chip-stock rebound; AMAT steadies in after-hours trade

Applied Materials stock jumps on chip-stock rebound; AMAT steadies in after-hours trade

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 19:14 ET — After-hours Applied Materials Inc shares rose 4.62% to close at $268.87 on Friday, and were down 0.18% at $268.39 in after-hours trading, after the 4 p.m. close. MarketWatch The move put the chip-equipment maker at the center of a broad semiconductor rebound at the start of 2026, as investors rotated back into the sector after a late-year pullback. The Philadelphia Semiconductor index was up 4% on the day, Reuters reported. Reuters That matters now because equipment suppliers like Applied Materials tend to move with expectations for factory spending on new chip capacity,
Caterpillar stock today: CAT jumps 4% after-hours as Dow kicks off 2026 higher — what’s next

Caterpillar stock today: CAT jumps 4% after-hours as Dow kicks off 2026 higher — what’s next

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 19:17 ET — After-hours Caterpillar Inc shares (CAT.N) were up 4.4% at $598.41 in late U.S. after-hours trading on Friday, after a sharp rally to start 2026. The move matters because Caterpillar is a heavyweight industrial bellwether, and early-year flows can amplify shifts in sentiment for cyclical stocks tied to economic growth. U.S. markets began 2026 with a rebound, lifting the Dow and S&P 500 after a late-2025 pullback, while investors remained sensitive to valuation and policy signals. Joe Mazzola, head of trading and derivatives strategist at Charles Schwab, described a “buy the dip, sell
GE Vernova (GEV) stock jumps today after hours as dividend date and jobs data loom

GE Vernova (GEV) stock jumps today after hours as dividend date and jobs data loom

New York, January 2, 2026, 19:17 ET — After-hours GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) shares rose about 3.8% to $679.55 in after-hours trading on Friday, after moving between $659.62 and $680.94 during the session. Volume was about 2.7 million shares. After-hours trading refers to transactions after the 4 p.m. ET close. The move comes as investors kick off 2026 with a renewed focus on companies tied to U.S. electricity demand, grid upgrades and generation buildouts—areas being reshaped by data centers and broader electrification. Rob Spivey of Altimetry Research argued that power bills are turning into a market catalyst as households
Intuit stock drops nearly 5% today as 2026 opens; SEC filing and dividend dates in focus

Intuit stock drops nearly 5% today as 2026 opens; SEC filing and dividend dates in focus

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 19:11 ET — After-hours Intuit Inc (INTU) shares fell 4.99% on Friday to $629.46, and were little changed in after-hours trading. The drop put Intuit among the day’s laggards in large-cap software at the start of the new year. Investors often use early-January moves to reset positioning after year-end rallies and tax-related portfolio shifts. Wall Street was choppy, with gains in some cyclical corners offset by weakness in parts of tech and consumer names, a Reuters market report said. “The next Fed Chair is probably going to be much more dovish than Jerome Powell,” said
SoFi stock jumps nearly 5% as traders mark Jan. 30 earnings date for SOFI shares

SoFi stock jumps nearly 5% as traders mark Jan. 30 earnings date for SOFI shares

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 18:42 ET — After-hours SoFi Technologies, Inc. shares climbed nearly 5% on Friday and held those gains in after-hours trading, as investors focused on a late-January earnings report that will set the tone for the fintech’s 2026 outlook. Yahoo Finance The move matters now because SoFi’s Jan. 30 update will deliver the first look at its full-year 2025 results and fresh commentary on loan demand, credit performance and funding costs — key drivers for consumer-focused lenders. SoFi It also comes as U.S. markets head into a data-heavy stretch that can reset expectations for Federal Reserve
Mastercard stock falls after-hours as MA extends slide into 2026

Mastercard stock falls after-hours as MA extends slide into 2026

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 18:46 ET — After-hours Mastercard Incorporated shares were down 1.4% at $563.13 in after-hours trading on Friday, which follows the regular 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET session. The stock traded between $559.51 and $572.73; Visa fell 1.2%, PayPal slipped 0.4% and American Express gained 0.7%. U.S. stocks ended mixed on the first trading day of 2026 as Treasury yields rose ahead of next week’s employment data. “Today is kind of a holiday trading day, lighter volumes,” said Jed Ellerbroek, portfolio manager at Argent Capital in St. Louis. The benchmark 10-year yield rose 3.8 basis

Stock Market Today

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

7 February 2026
Seagate shares rose 5.9% to $429.32 Friday after Citigroup raised its price target to $480 and reiterated a buy rating. The gain ended a two-day slide but left the stock 6.6% below its Feb. 3 high. CEO Dave Mosley sold 20,000 shares on Feb. 2 under a pre-arranged plan, SEC filings show. U.S. jobs and inflation data next week are seen as key tests for tech stocks.
Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

7 February 2026
Cummins shares jumped 6.8% to $577.73 Friday, recovering from a nearly 9% post-earnings drop the day before. The company reported Q4 revenue up 1% to $8.54 billion, took a $218 million charge tied to its hydrogen business, and guided for 2026 EBITDA of 17–18% of sales. Demand for data center generators offset weakness in North American truck markets. Analyst reaction was mixed; Truist raised its price target.
Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

7 February 2026
Corning shares surged 8.3% to $122.16 Friday, their highest close since the dot-com era, after Meta agreed to buy up to $6 billion in fiber-optic cables. The stock is up 40% since late 2025, fueled by strong first-quarter guidance and AI data-center demand. Insiders sold shares following the rally, SEC filings show. Investors await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data for rate signals.
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