Khadija Saeed

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

Iran says Russia launched three new satellites, deepening Moscow-Tehran space ties

Iran says Russia launched three new satellites, deepening Moscow-Tehran space ties

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:50 ET Iran said on Sunday three of its satellites were launched into low Earth orbit from Russia, extending space cooperation between Tehran and Moscow. Reuters+1 Iranian state media said a Russian Soyuz rocket carried the Paya, Zafar-2 and Kowsar satellites from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s far east. Bloomberg.com+1 The launch matters because Iran has increasingly relied on Russia to place satellites in orbit while both countries remain under U.S. sanctions and have drawn closer since Russia’s war in Ukraine. Reuters It also comes as Western governments continue to argue that satellite launch technology
Lumentum stock in focus after Friday slide as Fed minutes, next earnings near

Lumentum stock in focus after Friday slide as Fed minutes, next earnings near

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:54 ET — Market closed Lumentum Holdings Inc shares last traded at $390.77, down 1.3% from their previous close, in the final U.S. session before the weekend. The move comes as investors brace for the final stretch of 2025 with stocks near record peaks and the market focused on interest-rate expectations. Minutes — the detailed account of the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting — are due Tuesday. Reuters “Momentum is certainly on the side of the bulls,” Paul Nolte, senior wealth adviser and market strategist at Murphy & Sylvest Wealth Management, said in a note
Home Depot stock ends higher into year-end as Fed minutes loom and housing stays in focus

Home Depot stock ends higher into year-end as Fed minutes loom and housing stays in focus

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:49 ET — Market closed Home Depot shares ended the latest session on Friday up 0.7% at $349.78. The move came in a quiet, light-volume stretch for U.S. stocks, with the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq all closing marginally lower on Friday. Reuters That matters now because year-end portfolio shifts and thin trading can amplify swings, especially in rate-sensitive consumer names tied to housing and remodeling. Reuters Home Depot is closely watched as a read-through on U.S. home-improvement demand, where borrowing costs and home turnover can affect big projects and discretionary spending. Reuters On Friday,
Rigetti stock drops nearly 9% as quantum names cool into year-end

Rigetti stock drops nearly 9% as quantum names cool into year-end

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:47 ET — Market closed Rigetti Computing shares slid 8.6% to $22.38 in Friday’s regular session, retreating as quantum-computing stocks pulled back into the final week of the year. The move matters now because year-end trading tends to magnify swings in high-volatility stocks, while investors reassess crowded themes ahead of 2026. Reuters described Friday’s broader tape as light-volume and catalyst-thin, a backdrop that can sharpen moves in speculative corners of the market. Reuters Other “pure-play” quantum names fell in tandem. IonQ dropped about 7.6%, D-Wave Quantum slid about 8.1% and Quantum Computing Inc fell about
Visa stock ends flat in holiday lull as investors eye Fed minutes, housing data

Visa stock ends flat in holiday lull as investors eye Fed minutes, housing data

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:32 ET — Market closed Visa Inc shares ended Friday little changed, slipping 0.04% to $355, as U.S. markets drifted in quiet, post-Christmas trade. Yahoo Finance The near-flat close leaves Visa stuck in the year-end tug-of-war between thin liquidity and big-picture bets on where U.S. interest rates go next. Traders tend to keep positions light into the final trading days of the year, when small flows can move prices. Reuters+1 Visa, a bellwether in card payments, is also watched for what it implies about consumer activity, since it processes transactions for banks and merchants across
PepsiCo stock holds near $144 as leadership handoff hits and year-end data looms

PepsiCo stock holds near $144 as leadership handoff hits and year-end data looms

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:27 ET — Market closed PepsiCo shares ended slightly higher on Friday, last closing at $143.78, as investors moved through a muted post-Christmas session and looked ahead to a leadership handoff in the company’s North America business this weekend. SEC+1 The timing matters because U.S. stocks are in the final stretch of 2025, when thin holiday trading and year-end positioning can magnify small moves. The period also overlaps the so-called “Santa Claus rally,” a seasonal window covering the last five trading days of the year and the first two of the next. Reuters For PepsiCo,
P&G stock steadies near $145 as year-end trading thins and Fed minutes loom

P&G stock steadies near $145 as year-end trading thins and Fed minutes loom

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:33 ET — Market closed Key points: Procter & Gamble shares closed up 0.2% on Friday at $144.74, ending a quiet post-Christmas session with the stock holding near the $145 level. That muted move matters into the final week of the year, when trading liquidity often thins and portfolio rebalancing can push defensive shares around even without fresh company headlines. Investors’ next near-term market test comes Tuesday, when the Federal Reserve releases minutes from its most recent policy meeting — details traders use to gauge how quickly officials may cut rates next year. U.S. stock
SoFi stock slips into year-end lull as Fed minutes loom

SoFi stock slips into year-end lull as Fed minutes loom

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:31 ET — Market closed SoFi Technologies, Inc. shares fell 1.5% in the latest U.S. session, ending at $27.07 on Friday as year-end trading volumes stayed light. StockAnalysis The move matters now because the final trading days of the year can exaggerate swings in growth and fintech names, just as investors brace for fresh signals on interest rates and the economy. Reuters+1 Wall Street’s major indexes slipped slightly on Friday in a quiet, post-Christmas session, extending a holiday-thinned stretch that has left stock-specific catalysts in sharper focus. Reuters SoFi, an online lender and bank, is
Merck stock holds near 52-week high as year-end trading turns to Fed minutes

Merck stock holds near 52-week high as year-end trading turns to Fed minutes

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:37 ET — Market closed Merck & Co shares finished the last U.S. session up 0.3% at $106.78, closing just below a 52-week high after a quiet, post-Christmas session left the broader market marginally lower. Yahoo Finance+1 The move matters for investors because late-December flows can push big, liquid drugmakers around even without fresh company news, as portfolios rebalance into year-end and trading volumes stay light. Reuters+1 Attention is also shifting to interest-rate expectations, which can influence valuations for defensive, dividend-paying stocks such as large pharmaceuticals. Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting are
IonQ drops with quantum peers into year-end, as investors weigh next catalysts

IonQ drops with quantum peers into year-end, as investors weigh next catalysts

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 9:31 PM ET — Market closed IonQ shares fell 7.6% to $46.00 in their last U.S. session on Friday, retreating with other quantum-computing stocks into the final days of the year. The move matters because IonQ is one of a small set of publicly traded “pure plays” in quantum computing — companies whose main business is building quantum hardware and services — and the group has been prone to sharp swings on relatively little news. Reuters With the sector still early in commercial adoption, traders have been treating customer deals and roadmaps as key markers
Coupang stock in focus after $1.18 billion data-leak voucher plan

Coupang stock in focus after $1.18 billion data-leak voucher plan

NEW YORK, Dec 28, 2025, 21:31 ET — Market closed Coupang (CPNG) said it will roll out vouchers worth 1.69 trillion won ($1.18 billion) to South Korean users after a data leak, a move likely to keep the New York-listed e-commerce group’s shares in focus when U.S. trading resumes. Coupang shares closed Friday up 6.5% at $24.27. Reuters The compensation package is large enough to raise questions about near-term costs, even though vouchers are not the same as a cash payout. It also lands as lawmakers and regulators in South Korea press the company over data protection. Reuters+1 The announcement
GE Vernova stock slips into year-end as traders eye Fed minutes and Jan. 28 earnings

GE Vernova stock slips into year-end as traders eye Fed minutes and Jan. 28 earnings

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 21:16 ET — Market closed. GE Vernova Inc. (GEV) shares ended the last session down 0.6% on Friday at $663.46. The stock traded between $660.49 and $668.20. Yahoo Finance+1 The move comes as investors head into the final trading days of the year still focused on power-demand plays tied to data centers and grid spending. GE Vernova has been a key beneficiary of that theme, with management pointing to a long-cycle buildout in electricity infrastructure. GE Vernova+1 Why it matters now: the company sits in a market where supply is tight for large gas turbines,

Stock Market Today

GSK share price set for Monday watch after EU clears Nucala COPD use

GSK share price set for Monday watch after EU clears Nucala COPD use

7 February 2026
GSK shares closed Friday up 0.83% at a 52-week high after the EU approved Nucala for certain uncontrolled COPD patients. Insider filings showed chairman Jonathan Symonds bought 2,500 shares while executive David Redfern sold 100,000. The FTSE 100 rose 0.6%. Broker ratings on GSK remained mixed.
Aye Finance IPO: Rs 454-crore anchor haul follows valuation cut below last round

Aye Finance IPO: Rs 454-crore anchor haul follows valuation cut below last round

7 February 2026
Aye Finance raised Rs 454.5 crore from 19 anchor investors ahead of its Feb 9 IPO, pricing shares at the top of a Rs 122–129 range. The company’s profit fell 40% to Rs 64.3 crore in the six months to September as bad loans rose to 4.85%. The IPO values Aye at about Rs 3,200 crore, below its last private round. Major investors include Nippon Life India and Goldman Sachs funds.
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