Khadija Saeed

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

UnitedHealth stock slips as WSJ flags Optum mail-order refills ahead of 2026 guidance

UnitedHealth stock slips as WSJ flags Optum mail-order refills ahead of 2026 guidance

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:11 ET — Regular session UnitedHealth Group Incorporated shares edged lower on Monday after a Wall Street Journal investigation said mail-order pharmacies owned by major insurers, including UnitedHealth, dispensed billions of dollars of excess prescription drugs to Medicare patients. Wall Street Journal The report matters because it keeps a spotlight on Optum, UnitedHealth’s services arm, at a time when investors are focused on regulatory risk around Medicare and pharmacy practices and are looking for a clearer 2026 outlook from the company. Wall Street Journal+1 It also lands as UnitedHealth tries to reassure shareholders that internal
JPMorgan slips with big banks as traders eye Fed minutes in thin year-end trade

JPMorgan slips with big banks as traders eye Fed minutes in thin year-end trade

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:51 ET — Regular session JPMorgan Chase & Co shares dipped on Monday, tracking a broader pullback in U.S. equities as traders headed into the final stretch of 2025 with light volumes and a thin economic calendar. The stock was down 0.8% at $325.21 in morning trading. The banking bellwether traded between $324.88 and $328.39 earlier in the session. The moves matter because large U.S. banks are closely tied to interest-rate expectations. When Treasury yields fall, it can pressure the spread banks earn between loans and deposits, a key profit driver. Markets are also entering
Woodside stock edges up after Turkey LNG deal puts Louisiana project back in focus

Woodside stock edges up after Turkey LNG deal puts Louisiana project back in focus

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:39 ET — Regular session Woodside Energy’s U.S.-listed shares were up 0.7% at $15.47 in morning trading on Monday after the Australian natural gas producer said it signed a binding liquefied natural gas supply deal with Turkey’s state-owned BOTAŞ. Reuters The agreement matters now because long-term LNG contracts help producers lock in buyers and underpin project cash flows as the industry braces for a wave of new export capacity later this decade. The International Energy Agency expects new LNG export capacity to grow by 300 billion cubic metres per year between 2025 and 2030, a
29 December 2025
AI stocks today: Nvidia slips after Intel stake filing as chip rally pauses

AI stocks today: Nvidia slips after Intel stake filing as chip rally pauses

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:37 ET — Regular session Nvidia shares fell nearly 2% in morning trading on Monday after Intel said in a filing that the AI chip leader completed a $5 billion purchase of Intel stock. Intel shares were slightly higher. Reuters The pullback matters because big tech and chip stocks have done much of the heavy lifting for U.S. equities in 2025, leaving the market sensitive to moves in a handful of AI bellwethers. Reuters It also lands in the final, holiday-thinned stretch of the year, when liquidity can be light and small flows can have
Silver ETF SLV tumbles as silver retreats from record highs above $80

Silver ETF SLV tumbles as silver retreats from record highs above $80

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:29 ET — Regular session Shares of the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) slid 8.2% to $65.26 in early New York trading on Monday, mirroring a sharp drop in silver after a blowout rally to record highs. Investing.com+1 The reversal matters because silver’s late-year surge has turned volatile, and traders are testing how much of the run-up was driven by momentum and crowded positioning ahead of year-end. Reuters+1 Markets also have fresh macro and geopolitical catalysts on deck, with Federal Reserve minutes due Tuesday and headlines around Ukraine talks feeding moves in so-called safe havens —
Bitcoin dips under $88,000 as year-end trading thins; Strategy buy keeps crypto stocks in focus

Bitcoin dips under $88,000 as year-end trading thins; Strategy buy keeps crypto stocks in focus

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:34 ET — Regular session Bitcoin edged lower in morning New York trading on Monday, slipping 0.3% to $87,647 after briefly climbing above $90,000 earlier in the session. The muted move matters because thin year-end liquidity can exaggerate swings, with many desks operating with reduced staffing and fewer catalysts before the calendar turns. Reuters reported U.S. markets are heading into a holiday-shortened week, with trading volumes expected to be light. Reuters Bitcoin is also sitting near a widely watched round-number level at $90,000, leaving traders sensitive to any shift in risk appetite tied to interest
Barrick slides as gold cools from record highs; Fed minutes in focus

Barrick slides as gold cools from record highs; Fed minutes in focus

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:25 ET — Regular session Barrick Mining shares slid about 6% on Monday as gold prices retreated from record highs and investors locked in profits into year-end. Google+1 The move matters because gold’s 2025 rally has been steep, leaving miners exposed to sharp swings when traders unwind positions. Gold is often treated as a safe-haven — an asset investors buy when they want shelter from economic or geopolitical stress — and that demand can fade quickly when risks appear to ease. Reuters Investors are also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve’s December meeting minutes, due
Wall Street slips as tech cools to start final 2025 week; SoftBank deal lifts DigitalBridge

Wall Street slips as tech cools to start final 2025 week; SoftBank deal lifts DigitalBridge

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:23 ET — Regular session U.S. stocks edged lower on Monday as heavyweight technology shares retreated, opening a holiday-shortened week with caution. At 9:35 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 66.86 points, or 0.14%, to 48,645.62. The S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 22.08 points, or 0.32%, to 6,907.86 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) dropped 142.90 points, or 0.61%, to 23,450.20. Reuters The move matters because it comes after a late-year rally that left the S&P 500 within about 1% of the 7,000 mark, a round-number level many traders watch for sentiment. The Dow
Dow slips from record close as tech rally cools in year-end trade

Dow slips from record close as tech rally cools in year-end trade

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:30 ET — Regular session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped on Monday as heavyweight technology shares gave back some of last week’s gains, pulling the blue-chip index off its recent highs. By 9:35 a.m. ET, the Dow was down 66.86 points, or 0.14%, at 48,645.62. Reuters The move matters because the final week of the year typically brings lighter trading volume, which can exaggerate swings. U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day, and traders expect holiday-affected conditions to keep activity thin. Reuters Investors have also been eyeing whether the late-year
Robinhood slips after Needham trims target to $135 as crypto-linked stocks ease

Robinhood slips after Needham trims target to $135 as crypto-linked stocks ease

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:13 ET — Regular session Robinhood Markets, Inc. shares slipped on Monday after Needham & Company lowered its price target, a modest reset in expectations for a stock that has been sensitive to shifts in outlook for retail trading. MarketBeat The call matters now because Robinhood sits at the center of two volatile profit drivers — active trading and crypto — as investors head toward year-end positioning and into a new earnings cycle. Small changes in assumptions about customer activity can ripple through forecasts. Reuters It also lands as crypto prices soften, a factor that
Rocket Lab stock rebounds as year-end turbulence keeps Space Force contract in focus

Rocket Lab stock rebounds as year-end turbulence keeps Space Force contract in focus

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:17 ET — Regular session Rocket Lab Corp shares rose 2.4% to $72.36 by 10:11 a.m. ET on Monday, a bounce after last week’s sharp swings. MarketBeat The move matters because Rocket Lab’s stock has been whipsawed by defense-contract headlines into year-end, a period when thin volumes can exaggerate price moves. Shares jumped 17.7% on Dec. 19 and nearly 10% on Dec. 22 before sliding 8.5% on Friday, historical pricing showed. Observer News Enterprise Investors are still digesting what the company’s latest Space Development Agency award could mean for Rocket Lab’s push beyond its small-launch
Strategy shares rise after $109 million bitcoin buy funded by stock sale

Strategy shares rise after $109 million bitcoin buy funded by stock sale

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:03 ET — Regular session Strategy Inc shares were up 1.1% at $160.60 in morning trade on Monday after the company disclosed a fresh bitcoin purchase funded by a sale of its own stock. SEC The update matters because Strategy’s equity has become a liquid stand-in for bitcoin exposure for stock investors, and its funding model relies heavily on issuing shares to buy more of the cryptocurrency. SEC With bitcoin still swinging sharply around year-end levels, the filing put renewed focus on how fast Strategy is adding to its holdings — and how much dilution

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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