Today: 4 March 2026

Khadija Saeed

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

Lam Research stock price jumps 8% on chip rebound — what LRCX investors watch next week

Lam Research stock price jumps 8% on chip rebound — what LRCX investors watch next week

Lam Research shares jumped 8.2% to $231.01 at Friday’s close, tracking a semiconductor rally driven by bets on AI data-center spending. The move followed news of executive changes and a board appointment earlier in the week. U.S. jobs and inflation data, plus Nvidia’s Feb. 25 results, are expected to influence trading next week.
Novartis share price sits near a 52-week high after San Diego research build — what investors watch next

Novartis share price sits near a 52-week high after San Diego research build — what investors watch next

Novartis shares closed up 0.57% at CHF 119.96 in Zurich on Friday, hitting a 52-week high of CHF 120.64. The company broke ground on a 466,000-square-foot research center in San Diego, set to open in 2029. Investors await the March 6 shareholder meeting and March 10 ex-dividend date. Novartis forecasts a low single-digit decline in 2026 adjusted operating profit due to patent expiries.
Real estate stocks bounce at week’s end; here’s what XLRE and VNQ investors watch next

Real estate stocks bounce at week’s end; here’s what XLRE and VNQ investors watch next

U.S. real estate ETFs rose Friday, with XLRE up 1.8% and VNQ gaining 1.6%, as stocks rebounded and the Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. Equinix climbed 5%, Simon Property Group added 1.2%. Investors await key U.S. data next week, including CPI and rescheduled payrolls. The 10-year Treasury yield ended at 4.21% as bond auctions loom.
Energy stocks hit a record close as oil rebounds — what to watch before Monday’s open

Energy stocks hit a record close as oil rebounds — what to watch before Monday’s open

U.S. energy stocks closed at a record high Friday, with Exxon up 2% and Chevron 0.8% higher as Brent crude settled at $68.05 a barrel. The S&P 500 Energy sector rose 1.89% on Feb. 6 and is up 19.32% this year. Oil prices climbed amid U.S.-Iran tensions and Saudi price cuts. Markets await OPEC and IEA oil reports next week.
Financial services stocks brace for “jobs + CPI” week after XLF jumps — here’s what traders watch

Financial services stocks brace for “jobs + CPI” week after XLF jumps — here’s what traders watch

The Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time Friday, led by a 4.3% jump in Goldman Sachs and gains in major U.S. banks. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund rose 1.8% and the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index climbed 2.7%. Robinhood surged 14% and Coinbase 13% as bitcoin topped $70,000. Rate-cut bets increased after January layoff data, with Fed funds futures showing a 22.7% chance of a March cut.
Amazon’s $200 billion AI spending plan rattles tech stocks — what traders watch next week

Amazon’s $200 billion AI spending plan rattles tech stocks — what traders watch next week

Amazon projected about $200 billion in capex for 2026, far above analyst expectations, sending its shares down 5.6% Friday. The Nasdaq rose 2.18% as chipmakers surged, with Nvidia up 7.8%. About $1 trillion in market value has been wiped from the S&P 500 software and services index since Jan. 28. Wall Street’s tech sector is down roughly 9% from its late-October peak.
Data Center Stocks Rip Higher Into the Weekend — Here’s What Wall Street Watches Next

Data Center Stocks Rip Higher Into the Weekend — Here’s What Wall Street Watches Next

Vertiv surged 10% Friday, leading gains in U.S. data center stocks as Equinix rose 5% and Digital Realty climbed 4%. The Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time, while chip stocks rallied. Investors now await Vertiv and Equinix earnings midweek and U.S. CPI and jobs data next Friday, which could affect rate expectations and data center REIT valuations.
Cloud computing stocks bounce back — SKYY jumps, but Amazon’s AI spending plan keeps nerves high

Cloud computing stocks bounce back — SKYY jumps, but Amazon’s AI spending plan keeps nerves high

Cloud-focused ETFs rose 2%–4% Friday as tech stocks rebounded, with the First Trust Cloud Computing ETF up 4.4%. Amazon dropped 5.6% on concerns over $200 billion in planned AI infrastructure spending. Snowflake jumped 7.5% and Microsoft gained 1.8%. U.S. jobs and inflation data due later this week could shift rate expectations and impact high-growth cloud shares.
Healthcare stocks set up for Monday: Hims drops $49 Wegovy copycat as FDA targets compounded GLP-1s

Healthcare stocks set up for Monday: Hims drops $49 Wegovy copycat as FDA targets compounded GLP-1s

Hims & Hers will stop offering a compounded semaglutide pill after the FDA signaled a crackdown on copycat GLP-1 drugs. Hims shares fell 15.9% to $19.36 on Friday. Molina Healthcare plunged over 28% after forecasting 2026 profit far below expectations and announcing an exit from Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund closed up 1.85% at $157.71.
Communication services stocks lag Friday’s Wall Street bounce as AI spending jitters bite — here’s what matters next

Communication services stocks lag Friday’s Wall Street bounce as AI spending jitters bite — here’s what matters next

The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC) fell 0.39% to $115.76 on Friday, underperforming the S&P 500’s 2.0% gain. Alphabet dropped 2.5% and Meta lost 1.3%, while Disney rose 3.5% and T-Mobile slid 2.2%. Investors weighed new Big Tech capital spending plans tied to artificial intelligence, with Amazon’s $200 billion 2026 outlay drawing scrutiny.
Quantum computing stocks rally: IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, QUBT prices jump as traders look to the week ahead

Quantum computing stocks rally: IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, QUBT prices jump as traders look to the week ahead

Shares of U.S.-listed quantum computing firms surged Friday, with IonQ up 15% and Rigetti, D-Wave, and Quantum Computing Inc gaining 18–21% as tech stocks rallied. IonQ rebounded after a short-seller report and ahead of its Feb. 25 results. Quantum Computing Inc jumped after announcing a $110 million acquisition. Trading volume was heavy across the sector.
Big Tech stocks brace for AI spending scrutiny after Nvidia’s jump and Amazon’s drop

Big Tech stocks brace for AI spending scrutiny after Nvidia’s jump and Amazon’s drop

The Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time Friday as Nvidia surged 7.9% and Amazon dropped 5.6% on news of a $200 billion capex plan for 2026. Tech stocks remain volatile, with chipmakers rallying and software names under pressure as investors react to soaring AI infrastructure costs. The S&P 500 rose 2%, while the Russell 2000 jumped 3.5%. Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft are also expected to boost spending sharply this year.
EV stocks brace for Monday after Lucid jumps on UBS stake; Tesla, Rivian rebound

EV stocks brace for Monday after Lucid jumps on UBS stake; Tesla, Rivian rebound

Lucid shares jumped 13.9% Friday after UBS disclosed a major stake, closing at $10.86. Rivian gained 7.8% and Tesla rose 3.5% as tech stocks rebounded. In Europe, Stellantis shares plunged up to 30% after booking $26.5 billion in EV-related charges. Automotive Cells Company scrapped battery gigafactory plans in Italy and Germany.
Merck stock is inches from a 52-week high — and an insider just sold shares

Merck stock is inches from a 52-week high — and an insider just sold shares

Merck shares closed up 1.8% at $121.93 on Friday, marking a seventh straight gain and finishing just below a 52-week high. A regulatory filing showed Animal Health chief Richard R. DeLuca sold 37,685 shares on Feb. 6 at an average of $120.92. Trading volume was about 13 million shares, below the 50-day average. Investors await Monday trading after Merck’s 2026 outlook and pipeline updates.
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