Khadija Saeed

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

Applied Materials stock slips as China’s 50% domestic chip-tool rule puts AMAT in the spotlight

Applied Materials stock slips as China’s 50% domestic chip-tool rule puts AMAT in the spotlight

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 15:20 ET — Regular session Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT.O) shares slipped on Tuesday, with investors weighing fresh signs of tougher competition in China for semiconductor equipment makers. The stock was down 1.1% at $260.27 in mid-afternoon New York trade. The stock drew attention after Reuters reported China is requiring chipmakers seeking approval to build or expand fabs to use at least 50% domestically made equipment when adding new capacity. The measure is not publicly documented and is enforced through procurement tenders, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, and authorities can relax the threshold where
Qualcomm stock edges up as Fed minutes hit; QCOM eyes Feb. 4 earnings call

Qualcomm stock edges up as Fed minutes hit; QCOM eyes Feb. 4 earnings call

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 15:14 ET — Regular session Qualcomm (QCOM.O) shares were up about 0.2% at $173.75 in afternoon trading on Tuesday, hovering near Monday’s close as markets digested new details on the U.S. interest-rate outlook. That matters for Qualcomm and other semiconductor names because investors often value them like “growth” stocks, whose prices can swing when bond yields move. In year-end trading, the rate narrative can outweigh company-specific headlines. Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s Dec. 9-10 meeting — the detailed account of policymakers’ debate — showed officials split even after approving a quarter-point, or 0.25 percentage point,
Seagate stock edges lower as year-end AI trade cools; STX turns to January earnings

Seagate stock edges lower as year-end AI trade cools; STX turns to January earnings

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 15:01 ET — Regular session Seagate Technology Holdings plc shares were down 0.2% at $280.77 in afternoon trading on Tuesday, drifting after a year when the hard-drive maker became a marquee bet on AI-linked data-center spending. The stock has traded between $280.19 and $284.09 so far in the session, with about 694,000 shares changing hands. The soft patch matters because Seagate has been one of 2025’s standout infrastructure winners, leaving the stock more sensitive to shifts in sentiment around cloud budgets, storage pricing and the durability of the AI spending cycle. Investors are also closing
Nebius stock slips today after CEO files to sell shares — what traders are watching next

Nebius stock slips today after CEO files to sell shares — what traders are watching next

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 15:09 ET — Regular session Nebius Group N.V. shares slipped on Tuesday after a regulatory filing showed chief executive Arkady Volozh plans to sell a small block of stock around year-end. SEC+1 The disclosure matters because Nebius has become a closely watched AI infrastructure name, where investors have been quick to react to any potential increase in share supply. Year-end trading can amplify moves, as fewer shares changing hands can push prices around. SEC Form 144 is the SEC notice insiders file when they intend to sell “control” securities, typically ahead of the actual transactions.
SoFi stock today: SOFI barely moves after Fed minutes; what investors watch next

SoFi stock today: SOFI barely moves after Fed minutes; what investors watch next

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 3:01 PM ET — Regular session SoFi Technologies, Inc. shares were down 0.1% at $26.80 on Tuesday afternoon, after trading between $26.65 and $27.14. The Federal Reserve released minutes from its Dec. 9–10 meeting at 2:00 p.m. ET, putting fresh attention on how quickly policymakers might cut interest rates again. Federal Reserve That matters for SoFi because investors tend to treat the fintech lender as sensitive to shifts in borrowing costs, which can influence consumer demand for loans and a lender’s funding expenses. Trading across Wall Street was choppy in a holiday-shortened week, with investors
Why Western Digital stock is down today: WDC slides as year-end rotation cools AI-hardware trades

Why Western Digital stock is down today: WDC slides as year-end rotation cools AI-hardware trades

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 3:00 PM ET — Regular session Western Digital Corp shares fell 1.7% to $176.55 on Tuesday, after opening higher and sliding through the afternoon. The stock touched $181.34 earlier in the session before dipping as low as $176.31. The pullback lands after a standout year for the data-storage maker, whose shares have surged about 303% in 2025, making it one of the S&P 500’s biggest gainers. That steep run has made the stock a frequent target for late-December portfolio reshuffling. Barron’s Broader U.S. indexes were little changed in choppy, light-volume trading, with investors repositioning inside
Carvana stock drifts in thin trade after Fed minutes — what CVNA investors are watching

Carvana stock drifts in thin trade after Fed minutes — what CVNA investors are watching

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 14:52 ET — Regular session Carvana Co shares edged lower on Tuesday afternoon, trading down less than 0.1% at $433.32, as year-end portfolio shifts kept risk appetite uneven across consumer names. The muted move matters because Carvana has become a high-beta momentum stock after a sharp turnaround, and thin holiday volumes can exaggerate day-to-day swings even when headlines are light. Investors also had fresh Federal Reserve minutes to digest. Rate expectations matter for used-car demand because financing costs influence monthly payments, a key factor for many buyers. Broader U.S. markets were subdued in choppy trading,
Lululemon stock slips today as founder Chip Wilson launches proxy fight over board shake-up

Lululemon stock slips today as founder Chip Wilson launches proxy fight over board shake-up

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 14:50 ET — Regular session Shares of lululemon athletica inc. fell about 0.6% to $211.30 in afternoon trading on Tuesday after founder Chip Wilson launched a proxy fight — a campaign to win shareholder votes for board seats — seeking to reshape the board. The stock had gained about 2% on Monday, Reuters reported. Reuters The board fight comes as the athletic apparel maker searches for a permanent chief executive after Calvin McDonald said he would step down on Jan. 31. Chief financial officer Meghan Frank and chief commercial officer André Maestrini are set to
Amgen stock dips as Lumakras combo trial ends; MariTide data now the next watch

Amgen stock dips as Lumakras combo trial ends; MariTide data now the next watch

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 2:56 PM ET — Regular session Amgen Inc. shares were down 0.4% at $328.32 at 2:56 p.m. ET on Tuesday, after trading between $325.90 and $330.18. The modest move matters because investors are grading Amgen’s pipeline for new growth while several mature products face price pressure and biosimilar competition. Oncology and obesity remain two key swing factors for the stock heading into 2026. Biotech stocks lagged, with the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF down about 1.1%, while the healthcare sector ETF was roughly flat and the S&P 500 ETF hovered near unchanged. Verastem Oncology said it
Texas Instruments stock today: TXN flat after ReRAM licensing deal as Fed minutes land

Texas Instruments stock today: TXN flat after ReRAM licensing deal as Fed minutes land

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 14:44 ET — Regular session Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) shares were little changed on Tuesday after memory developer Weebit Nano said it had licensed its resistive random access memory, or ReRAM, technology to the chipmaker. The stock was down about 0.01% at $175.67 in afternoon trade, and TI executive Amichai Ron said the partnership would give customers access to “industry-leading NVM technology.” Weebit The announcement matters because embedded non-volatile memory — storage that keeps data when power is off — is a key building block for chips that run cars, factory equipment and other electronics
Mastercard stock dips in thin year-end trade as Fed minutes sharpen rate focus

Mastercard stock dips in thin year-end trade as Fed minutes sharpen rate focus

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 14:45 ET — Regular session Mastercard Incorporated shares were down 0.3% at $576.37 in afternoon trading on Tuesday, after moving between $574.55 and $579.49 earlier in the session. Volume was about 683,000 shares. The small move still matters into year-end because investors use card networks as a bellwether for consumer spending. Mastercard earns fees when transactions run across its network, so shifts in shopping and travel can show up quickly in volume trends. Rates are also front and center for the group. Payment processors trade like high-quality growth stocks inside financials, which can make them
Accenture stock slips as Argus cuts target; Fed minutes keep Wall Street cautious

Accenture stock slips as Argus cuts target; Fed minutes keep Wall Street cautious

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 14:33 ET — Regular session Accenture plc shares were down about 0.5% on Tuesday, drifting lower in a quiet year-end session after Argus lowered its price target on the IT services company while maintaining a buy rating. The move matters because Accenture is widely treated as a read-through on corporate technology spending, and late-December liquidity is thin. In that backdrop, even routine changes in analyst targets can move large-cap consulting names more than usual. Traders were also navigating a fresh macro signal after Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed policymakers split over how quickly to keep

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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