Khadija Saeed

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

Intel stock jumps 6% today as CES chip launch nears — what traders are watching next

Intel stock jumps 6% today as CES chip launch nears — what traders are watching next

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 10:35 ET — Regular session Intel shares climbed on Friday, gaining about 6.3% to $39.22 in morning trade. The move puts the chipmaker back in focus heading into next week’s CES technology conference, a key showcase for PC chips and “AI PCs” — computers designed to run more AI features on the device rather than relying only on the cloud. Intel It also comes as traders start 2026 recalibrating expectations for U.S. interest rates, which can swing valuations for growth stocks. “The market is looking for direction,” said Matthew Maley, chief market strategist at Miller
Strategy (MSTR) stock rises after preferred dividend rate lifted to 11% as bitcoin steadies

Strategy (MSTR) stock rises after preferred dividend rate lifted to 11% as bitcoin steadies

New York, January 2, 2026, 10:28 ET — Regular session Strategy Inc (MSTR) shares rose 1.1% to $153.63 as of 10:13 a.m. ET on Friday, after swinging between $150.03 and $156.75 earlier in the session. The move came after the company disclosed a higher dividend rate on one of its preferred share classes. The filing matters because Strategy has become a bellwether “bitcoin treasury” trade — a company that holds bitcoin on its balance sheet and is often treated by investors as a proxy for the cryptocurrency. Its common shares can amplify bitcoin moves, for better or worse. It also
Alphabet stock rises to start 2026 as analysts flag AI-search tailwinds for GOOG

Alphabet stock rises to start 2026 as analysts flag AI-search tailwinds for GOOG

New York, January 2, 2026, 10:20 ET — Regular session Alphabet’s Class C shares rose 1.3% to $317.82 by 10:13 a.m. ET on Friday, after the Google parent opened higher with the broader tech complex. The stock touched an intraday high of $322.86. The early move matters because Alphabet is entering 2026 with investors focused on whether its AI push can protect Search—its biggest profit engine—while the company continues to spend heavily on data centers and chips. The Class C line is the company’s non-voting stock. Wall Street’s main indexes opened higher on the first trading day of 2026, with
AMD stock jumps 6% as chip rally kicks off 2026 ahead of Lisa Su’s CES keynote

AMD stock jumps 6% as chip rally kicks off 2026 ahead of Lisa Su’s CES keynote

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 10:18 ET — Regular session Shares of Advanced Micro Devices rose 6.0% to $227.02 in morning trade on Friday. The stock opened at $219.00 and traded between $217.01 and $227.05, with about 9.5 million shares changing hands. The move matters now because chip stocks are setting the pace in Wall Street’s first session of 2026 after a choppy year-end. The broader market opened higher as risk appetite improved, a setup that tends to favor growth-heavy technology names. Reuters “The market is looking for direction,” said Matthew Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak. Investors are
Palantir stock dips today as 2026 trading begins — what traders are watching next for PLTR

Palantir stock dips today as 2026 trading begins — what traders are watching next for PLTR

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 10:14 ET — Regular session Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares fell 0.4% to $177.04 on Friday, while the Nasdaq-tracking Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) rose about 1.1% in early trade. The move matters because Palantir has been one of the market’s most closely watched “AI software” names after a sharp 2025 rally, leaving little room for stumbles as investors reset positions for the new year. The Motley Fool At current levels, the stock remains about 15% below its 52-week high of $207.52, keeping attention on whether momentum returns as the year’s first trading week gets underway. The
Micron (MU) stock jumps 8% today as chip rally kicks off 2026 — what to watch next

Micron (MU) stock jumps 8% today as chip rally kicks off 2026 — what to watch next

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 10:18 ET — Regular session Micron Technology Inc (MU.O) shares rose about 8% on Friday morning, leading U.S. memory and storage names higher in the first regular session of 2026. The stock was up $22.92 at $308.33 by 10:02 a.m. ET, after trading between $292.68 and $308.33. The move comes as investors refocus on a tightening supply picture for memory chips, driven by heavy demand from AI infrastructure. IDC projected a 2026 contraction of up to 5.2% in smartphones and up to 8.9% in PCs in a pessimistic scenario as memory costs rise, Business Insider
Natural gas price slides today, pulling EQT, Antero stocks lower as U.S. warmth caps demand

Natural gas price slides today, pulling EQT, Antero stocks lower as U.S. warmth caps demand

NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2026, 10:04 ET — Regular session U.S. natural gas-linked stocks slipped on Friday as gas futures fell on expectations of weaker heating demand in early January. The move matters because winter weather changes can quickly swing consumption, storage withdrawals and cash flow expectations for producers that are most exposed to the U.S. benchmark price. It also sets the tone for the first full trading day of 2026 after a late-December selloff tied to a smaller storage withdrawal and milder forecasts. U.S. natural gas futures were trading at about $3.58 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), down
AI stocks rally today as Nvidia seeks more H200 chips; AMD and Micron lead early gains

AI stocks rally today as Nvidia seeks more H200 chips; AMD and Micron lead early gains

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 10:13 ET — Regular session Nvidia shares rose 2.9% to $191.93 on Friday after Reuters reported the AI chipmaker had approached Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co about ramping up production of its H200 graphics processing units (GPUs), chips used to train and run AI models. Sources told Reuters Chinese technology companies have ordered more than 2 million H200 chips for delivery in 2026, far above Nvidia’s current inventory of about 700,000 units. The report said TSMC was expected to start work on expanded output in the second quarter, but Chinese authorities have yet to greenlight any
XRP price today rises toward $2 after Ripple’s 1B token escrow unlock

XRP price today rises toward $2 after Ripple’s 1B token escrow unlock

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 10:01 ET — Regular session XRP rose on Friday, pushing back toward the $2 level as traders digested Ripple’s first scheduled token release of the year and a firmer tone across cryptocurrencies. The early-January bounce matters because liquidity tends to be thin after year-end, which can magnify moves in smaller tokens. XRP often trades as a high-beta proxy for the broader “altcoin” market — cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin. Investors are also recalibrating positions around U.S. interest-rate expectations, a key driver for risk assets. That keeps attention on next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data. XRP
Bitcoin price today: BTC edges toward $90,000 as ETF flows and U.S. jobs data come into focus

Bitcoin price today: BTC edges toward $90,000 as ETF flows and U.S. jobs data come into focus

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 09:59 ET — Regular session Bitcoin rose about 2% on Friday to $89,555, extending a rebound into the first U.S. trading session of 2026 as buyers again tested the $90,000 threshold. The move comes after bitcoin ended 2025 down more than 6% following a sharp fourth-quarter pullback from an October record above $126,000, a slide that underlined the token’s sensitivity to wider risk appetite. Reuters That matters now because spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, have become a primary channel for institutional demand and can amplify moves when flows swing. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw
Gold price today rebounds near $4,370 as GLD ETF and gold stocks track bullion higher

Gold price today rebounds near $4,370 as GLD ETF and gold stocks track bullion higher

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 09:54 ET — Regular session Spot gold was up about 1% at around $4,369 an ounce in New York morning trade on Friday, pricing data showed. JM Bullion The move keeps bullion on investors’ screens at the start of the year after a blockbuster 2025 run, when safe-haven demand and rate-cut bets helped lift precious metals broadly. It matters now because gold sits not far from recent record territory, and the market is trying to gauge whether the next leg of the rally can hold as liquidity returns after the holidays. Gold is a non-yielding
Silver price today: SLV jumps 4% as spot silver rallies again in early 2026 trade

Silver price today: SLV jumps 4% as spot silver rallies again in early 2026 trade

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 10:04 ET — Regular session iShares Silver Trust (SLV) rose $2.57, or 4.0%, to $66.99 in morning New York trading on Friday, the first U.S. session of 2026. Spot silver was up 3.4% earlier on Friday after hitting an all-time high of $83.62 on Monday, Reuters reported. “Bulls seem to be drawing strength from geopolitical risk and hopes of lower U.S. rates,” said Lukman Otunuga, senior research analyst at FXTM. Investors are pricing in at least two quarter-point Fed rate cuts this year, Reuters said, and the metal’s record 2025 gain was fueled by its

Stock Market Today

ST Engineering stock price drops 2% to S$9.71 as drone-autonomy tie-up grabs attention

ST Engineering stock price drops 2% to S$9.71 as drone-autonomy tie-up grabs attention

7 February 2026
ST Engineering shares fell 1.9% to S$9.71 Friday, outpacing the Singapore market’s 0.8% drop amid a tech-led selloff. The company signed a deal with Shield AI at the Singapore Airshow to integrate autonomy software into its unmanned platforms and unveiled a small drone capable of carrying explosives. About 6.9 million shares traded as investors await full-year results on Feb. 27.
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