Today: 7 February 2026
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Shan Ahmed Khan

As a journalist focused on finance and the stock market, he delivers fast, reliable, and easy-to-understand coverage of market news.

Oil prices rebound after 4% slide as Iran tension cools, traders eye U.S. stockpiles

Oil prices rebound after 4% slide as Iran tension cools, traders eye U.S. stockpiles

LONDON, Jan 16, 2026, 11:40 GMT — Regular session Oil prices edged higher on Friday as traders weighed supply risks linked to Iran against signs Washington may be stepping back from military action. Brent crude gained 50 cents, or 0.78%, to $64.26 a barrel by 1000 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 48 cents, or 0.81%, to $59.67, with Brent on track for a fourth straight weekly gain. (Reuters) The move followed a rough Thursday: Brent settled down $2.76, or 4.15%, at $63.76 and WTI fell $2.83, or 4.56%, to $59.19 after President Donald Trump said Tehran’s crackdown
16 January 2026
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Mortgage rates today sit near 6% as refi demand jumps and Rocket climbs in premarket

Mortgage rates today sit near 6% as refi demand jumps and Rocket climbs in premarket

New York, January 16, 2026, 06:34 EST — Premarket U.S. mortgage rates stayed close to three-year lows on Friday, with the 30-year fixed rate lingering near 6% in early surveys as the bond market searched for direction. Shares of Rocket Companies climbed 3.4% in premarket trading, reaching $23.44. (Bankrate) This shift is significant since rates hovering around 6% mark the first genuine decline many buyers have encountered since 2022, despite persistent high home prices. For lenders and housing-related stocks, even a modest fall in borrowing costs can trigger a sharp rise in refinancing activity. The market has grown unusually sensitive
16 January 2026
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XRP price slips toward $2 as U.S. crypto bill markup is postponed — what traders watch next

XRP price slips toward $2 as U.S. crypto bill markup is postponed — what traders watch next

New York, Jan 16, 2026, 06:25 EST — Premarket XRP dropped roughly 2.6% in the last 24 hours, hitting around $2.06 and hovering near the day’s low after early-week gains stumbled on renewed policy doubts in Washington. The token saw about $2.5 billion in trading volume, according to CoinMarketCap data. (CoinMarketCap) The Senate Banking Committee’s markup on crypto market structure, a key near-term event for traders, has been pulled from the schedule. Chairman Tim Scott announced the postponement, citing ongoing bipartisan talks. He described the markup as the stage where lawmakers debate and amend the bill before moving to a
16 January 2026
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Natural gas price snaps back above $3 as Henry Hub traders weigh storage glut and late-January cold

Natural gas price snaps back above $3 as Henry Hub traders weigh storage glut and late-January cold

NEW YORK, Jan 16, 2026, 06:33 ET — Premarket U.S. natural gas futures edged higher on Friday morning, recovering some losses following a sharp drop that left prices near multi-year lows. The February Henry Hub contract added 4.3 cents, or 1.4%, climbing to $3.171 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) by 6:33 a.m. ET, according to CME data. (CME Group) This bounce counts because traders had been betting bearish through mid-January, expecting mild weather and ample stockpiles to limit heating demand. With prices hovering just above $3, even slight tweaks in weather forecasts can trigger rapid shifts in positions. This
16 January 2026
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AI stocks pop before the bell as TSMC lifts Nvidia, AMD and chip peers

AI stocks pop before the bell as TSMC lifts Nvidia, AMD and chip peers

New York, Jan 16, 2026, 06:29 ET — Premarket AI chip stocks pushed higher in premarket Friday, boosted by names connected to data-center investment. Nvidia climbed 2.1% to $187.05, AMD picked up 1.9% to $227.92, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s U.S.-listed shares surged 4.5% to $341.64. ASML advanced 5.4%, while Broadcom edged up roughly 0.9%. This matters because investors have been searching for clear signals on how long the AI build-out can maintain its current speed. Chip supply remains the bottleneck for many AI systems, and spending forecasts from the top manufacturers usually shape sentiment across the entire sector. TSMC
16 January 2026
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Silver price today slips from record run as dollar firms; traders still eye $100

Silver price today slips from record run as dollar firms; traders still eye $100

New York, Jan 16, 2026, 06:13 EST — Premarket Spot silver — the cash price for immediate delivery — fell to $90.82 an ounce by 6:02 a.m. ET, down $1.99, trimming a blistering run that set fresh records earlier this week. https://www.jmbullion.com/charts/silver-prices/ The pullback tracked a firmer U.S. dollar after jobless claims fell to 198,000 last week, below forecasts, keeping the dollar index near a six-week high and pressuring dollar-priced metals. “Speculative traders are keeping an eye on $100 even though it would not be sustainable,” said Carsten Menke, an analyst at Julius Baer. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/gold-slips-upbeat-us-data-boosts-dollar-dims-rate-cut-bets-2026-01-16/ That matters now because silver
16 January 2026
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Gold price slips from record highs as U.S. data lifts dollar, Fed meeting looms

Gold price slips from record highs as U.S. data lifts dollar, Fed meeting looms

New York, January 16, 2026, 06:17 EST — Premarket Gold prices dipped again on Friday, following a slide from the day before as robust U.S. economic data boosted the dollar and cooled appetite for safe-haven assets. Spot gold dropped 0.3% to $4,603.02 an ounce by 0918 GMT. Meanwhile, February U.S. gold futures slipped 0.4% to $4,606.70. “There was a lot of momentum in the (gold) market, which seems to have faded slightly,” said Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke. (Business Standard) The pullback follows a rapid surge that saw gold hit a record $4,642.72 this week, keeping it on pace for
16 January 2026
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UK stock market today: FTSE 100 stalls near record as miners slip, defence shares rise

UK stock market today: FTSE 100 stalls near record as miners slip, defence shares rise

London, Jan 16, 2026, 10:55 GMT — Regular session London’s FTSE 100 held steady at 10,236.58 points by 0955 GMT Friday, held back by falling metal prices that weighed on miners after the index hit a record high the day before. Defence stocks climbed amid renewed Russia-Ukraine tensions, while Pearson dropped following a Barclays downgrade. Meanwhile, Britain’s Office for National Statistics is reportedly preparing contingency plans that could push back a revamped labour market survey until May 2027, according to a Bloomberg report. (Reuters) The pause is notable since this rally hasn’t been widespread. Much of the gains stem from
16 January 2026
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Dow Jones futures edge higher as banks, chip rally keep Wall Street on its toes

Dow Jones futures edge higher as banks, chip rally keep Wall Street on its toes

New York, January 16, 2026, 05:56 EST — Premarket Dow futures edged up early Friday following a bank-driven rally that buoyed the blue-chip index the day before, leaving traders cautiously optimistic ahead of new U.S. data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 65 points, or 0.13%, standing at 49,704. (Investing.com) The Dow jumped 292.81 points, or 0.60%, closing at 49,442.44 on Thursday. The S&P 500 ticked up 0.26%, while the Nasdaq inched 0.25% higher. Investors zeroed in on banks and chipmakers after a two-day retreat. Goldman Sachs surged 4.6%, Morgan Stanley rose 5.8% following strong quarterly profits, and Taiwan
16 January 2026
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Bitcoin price today: BTC slips toward $95,000 before U.S. open as Senate crypto bill hits a snag

Bitcoin price today: BTC slips toward $95,000 before U.S. open as Senate crypto bill hits a snag

New York, Jan 16, 2026, 06:13 EST — Premarket Bitcoin dipped 1.4% to $95,332 early Friday, retreating from an intraday peak of $97,096 as U.S. markets opened. Ether dropped 1.7%, landing at $3,299.96. This move is significant since bitcoin’s recent surge has relied heavily on two volatile factors: Washington headlines and U.S. interest rates. If either shifts, momentum traders often pull back swiftly. In Washington, a U.S. Senate panel delayed debate on a broad crypto market-structure bill after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said his company couldn’t support the draft, citing “too many issues.” Armstrong stated, “We’d rather have no bill
16 January 2026
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Morgan Stanley stock jumps nearly 6% in premarket after earnings point to dealmaking rebound

Morgan Stanley stock jumps nearly 6% in premarket after earnings point to dealmaking rebound

New York, Jan 16, 2026, 06:04 EST — Premarket Morgan Stanley shares jumped 5.8% to $191.23 in U.S. premarket trading Friday, fueled by stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter profits. The Wall Street bank saw a boost from a surge in dealmaking fees. The report arrives early in earnings season, as investors assess whether the surge in mergers and stock-and-bond issuance can hold up. For major banks, the key question is straightforward: are clients genuinely ramping up spending, or is this just a short-lived spike before rates and political issues take a toll. Morgan Stanley reported earnings of $2.68 per share, beating estimates of
16 January 2026
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Infosys sparks IT rally as Nifty, Sensex end higher; rupee slide keeps traders cautious

Infosys sparks IT rally as Nifty, Sensex end higher; rupee slide keeps traders cautious

Bengaluru, Jan 16, 2026, 16:18 (IST) — The market has closed. Indian shares edged up on Friday, boosted by tech stocks following Infosys’ upgraded revenue forecast. Still, the main indexes wrapped the week mostly unchanged. (Reuters) The Nifty 50 edged up 0.11% to 25,694.35, with the Sensex climbing 0.23% to 83,570.35. Over the week, the Nifty inched higher by 0.04%, while the Sensex slipped 0.01%. (Reuters) The mix is crucial now as investors lean on early earnings clues to gauge if corporate demand is holding steady, despite ongoing global trade jitters and foreign outflows dampening risk appetite. (Reuters) “Markets won’t
16 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

7 February 2026
Vodafone shares rose 1.47% to 110.60p Friday, recovering part of Thursday’s 4.68% drop after a Q3 update. Group revenue climbed 6.5% to €10.5 billion, but Germany’s 0.7% service revenue growth missed some forecasts. Vodafone launched a new €500 million buyback tranche, bringing total buybacks since May to €3.5 billion. Investors remain focused on Germany’s pace and cash flow execution.
NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

7 February 2026
NatWest shares closed up 1.45% at 659.4 pence Friday, buoyed by a buyback of 797,428 shares and a new digital mortgage deal with Rightmove. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but signaled possible cuts, with markets pricing in two reductions for 2026. NatWest plans to expand its Accelerator community to 50,000 members by 2026. Annual results are due Feb. 13.
Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

7 February 2026
Unilever shares closed flat at 5,250p in London Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.6% gain. The company issued 4.2 million new shares for employee plans, bringing total shares to over 2.18 billion. Investors await Q4 and full-year results on Feb. 12, with analyst consensus pointing to 3.9% Q4 sales growth. Unilever’s U.S. ADR rose 0.8% to $72.12.
BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

7 February 2026
BP shares closed up 1.9% at 478 pence Friday, just below a 52-week high, as the company continued buybacks ahead of next week’s results. BP repurchased 2.789 million shares on February 6. Oil prices firmed on geopolitical risk, with Brent at $68.05 a barrel, but sector outlook remains uncertain. Investors await BP’s earnings and dividend decision due Tuesday.
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