Today: 12 March 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.

SMX stock edges higher in premarket after 76% spike — what’s driving Security Matters now

SMX stock edges higher in premarket after 76% spike — what’s driving Security Matters now

SMX shares rose 2.6% to $34.83 in Nasdaq premarket trading Thursday after jumping 76% Wednesday, when volume hit 16.6 million shares and the price ranged from $18.14 to $40.56. The surge followed company-backed advertorials promoting “molecular identity” tech for cannabis and food packaging. Traders are watching if gains hold after the 9:30 a.m. ET open. Next earnings date is April 23, according to StockAnalysis.com.
8 January 2026
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Lithium prices keep climbing — Albemarle stock edges up premarket on fresh upgrades

Lithium prices keep climbing — Albemarle stock edges up premarket on fresh upgrades

Albemarle rose 2.2% to $161.57 in premarket trading Thursday after analysts raised price targets, citing higher lithium prices and demand for energy storage. China’s battery-grade lithium carbonate spot prices climbed by up to 5,000 yuan per ton, while futures swung sharply. Other lithium stocks traded mixed. China’s industry ministry warned battery makers about overcapacity risks.
8 January 2026
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Brent price stock BRNT rises as oil rebounds on U.S. crude draw, Russia sanctions in focus

Brent price stock BRNT rises as oil rebounds on U.S. crude draw, Russia sanctions in focus

WisdomTree Brent Crude Oil (BRNT.L) rose 1% to $46.66 in London, tracking Brent futures up 1.5% at $60.83. U.S. crude inventories fell by 3.8 million barrels, while gasoline and distillate stocks climbed. Analysts cited U.S. policy moves on Russia and oversupply concerns as key factors. Exxon Mobil warned lower crude prices could cut Q4 upstream earnings by up to $1.2 billion.
8 January 2026
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Why Valero stock is moving: gasoline price risk, California refinery plans and Venezuela crude

Why Valero stock is moving: gasoline price risk, California refinery plans and Venezuela crude

Valero Energy shares rose 0.7% in premarket trading after California said the company will keep supplying gasoline as it idles its Benicia refinery in 2026. U.S. gasoline inventories climbed by 7.7 million barrels last week, while crude stocks fell 3.8 million. Brent crude traded near $60.55 a barrel. The U.S. average gasoline price was $2.819 per gallon, unchanged from the previous day.
8 January 2026
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Crude oil rebounds, but Exxon stock and USO ETF slip in premarket as Venezuela headlines bite

Crude oil rebounds, but Exxon stock and USO ETF slip in premarket as Venezuela headlines bite

USO fell 1% premarket Thursday, Exxon Mobil dropped 2%, and Chevron slipped less than 1%. Brent crude rose to $60.55 in Europe after Trump backed a Russia-sanctions bill. The US seized two Venezuela-linked tankers and reached a deal to import up to $2 billion in Venezuelan crude. Exxon warned lower prices could cut Q4 upstream earnings by up to $1.2 billion.
8 January 2026
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US economic calendar today: What to watch as U.S. stock futures slip before Friday’s jobs report

US economic calendar today: What to watch as U.S. stock futures slip before Friday’s jobs report

U.S. stock futures fell early Thursday, with Dow futures down 146 points, as traders awaited Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report. Defense stocks surged after Donald Trump proposed a $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027. Lockheed Martin jumped 7.2%, Northrop Grumman 7.5%, and RTX 4.9%. Key economic data, including jobless claims and trade figures, are due at 8:30 a.m. ET.
8 January 2026
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Heating oil ETF UHN slips after surprise distillate build — what markets watch next

Heating oil ETF UHN slips after surprise distillate build — what markets watch next

U.S.-listed heating oil fund UHN fell 2.18% to $20.60 premarket Wednesday after U.S. distillate inventories jumped by 5.6 million barrels, according to the Energy Information Administration. NY Harbor ULSD futures for February slipped 0.78% to $2.0667 a gallon. Crude prices steadied after a larger-than-expected draw in U.S. crude stocks. Market concerns linger over possible oversupply and thin trading in UHN.
8 January 2026
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Mortgage rates today hold near 6.2% as D.R. Horton stock slides before jobs report

Mortgage rates today hold near 6.2% as D.R. Horton stock slides before jobs report

D.R. Horton shares fell 3.6% premarket after Citizens downgraded the homebuilder, citing aggressive earnings estimates and inventory risks. The average U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rate edged up to 6.163%. Lennar dropped 2.3% and the iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF lost 2.4%. Traders awaited Friday’s U.S. jobs report, seen as a key driver for rates.
8 January 2026
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Natural gas price today: UNG ETF holds Wednesday’s jump as traders brace for the EIA storage report

Natural gas price today: UNG ETF holds Wednesday’s jump as traders brace for the EIA storage report

The United States Natural Gas Fund held steady at $11.78 in premarket trading after a 4.4% gain Wednesday. Benchmark Henry Hub natural gas rose 1.4% to $3.57 per mmBtu early Thursday, ahead of a U.S. storage report expected to show a large withdrawal. EQT, Antero Resources, and Cheniere Energy posted modest early gains. NOAA forecasts above-normal warmth for much of the U.S. through mid-January.
8 January 2026
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UK stock market today: FTSE 100 slips on Shell warning as defence stocks jump

UK stock market today: FTSE 100 slips on Shell warning as defence stocks jump

Shell fell 2.6% after warning of a chemicals unit loss and narrowing LNG guidance, dragging the FTSE 100 down 0.3% by mid-morning. BAE Systems jumped over 6% on U.S. defence spending hopes. Associated British Foods dropped 11% after Primark’s profit warning. Tesco and Greggs also declined as UK retailers flagged weak consumer confidence.
8 January 2026
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Bitcoin price slips below $91,000 as ETF outflows grow ahead of U.S. jobs report

Bitcoin price slips below $91,000 as ETF outflows grow ahead of U.S. jobs report

Bitcoin dropped below $91,000 Thursday, down 2.4% at $90,589 by 6:23 a.m. EST, with ether and XRP also falling, Coinbase data showed. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw $486.1 million in net outflows Wednesday, led by BlackRock and Fidelity, after $243.2 million in redemptions Tuesday, according to Farside Investors. Traders awaited Friday’s U.S. payrolls report as stock index futures edged lower.
8 January 2026
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Nvidia’s China upfront-payment demand puts AI stocks in focus ahead of U.S. payrolls

Nvidia’s China upfront-payment demand puts AI stocks in focus ahead of U.S. payrolls

Nvidia shares rose 1% premarket after sources said the company now requires full upfront payment from Chinese buyers of its H200 AI chips, with no cancellations or refunds allowed. Beijing has asked some tech firms to halt H200 orders while it considers mandating domestic chip purchases, according to the Information. AMD and TSMC shares fell before the open. Samsung projected a record quarterly profit driven by AI demand.
8 January 2026
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XRP price slides 7% toward $2 as ETF outflows hit and jobs data looms

XRP price slides 7% toward $2 as ETF outflows hit and jobs data looms

XRP dropped 7% to $2.09 Thursday as U.S. spot XRP ETFs saw $40.8 million in net outflows, their first since launching in November. Bitcoin fell 2.2% to $90,059 and ether lost 3.2% to $3,119. About $278 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated in 24 hours, including $11 million in XRP. U.S. stock futures slipped ahead of Friday’s jobs report.
8 January 2026
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Silver price stock SLV drops in premarket as spot silver slides ahead of U.S. jobs data

Silver price stock SLV drops in premarket as spot silver slides ahead of U.S. jobs data

iShares Silver Trust (SLV) dropped 2.9% to $68.90 in premarket trading after a 3.7% fall Wednesday. Spot silver slid 3.1% to $75.73 an ounce as traders positioned for the Bloomberg Commodity Index rebalance and awaited Friday’s U.S. payrolls report. SLV held 16,099.83 tonnes of silver as of Jan. 7, with net assets at $40.9 billion.
8 January 2026
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Gold price slips ahead of U.S. jobs data as Newmont stock and GLD track bullion

Gold price slips ahead of U.S. jobs data as Newmont stock and GLD track bullion

Spot gold dropped 0.6% to $4,427.48 an ounce Thursday as funds positioned ahead of the Bloomberg Commodity Index rebalancing and the dollar strengthened. Newmont shares slipped 1.1% premarket, while SPDR Gold Shares lost 1%. HSBC projected gold could reach $5,000 in early 2026 but warned of a possible correction if Fed rate cuts stall.
8 January 2026
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Dow, S&P 500 futures dip as Trump policy headlines bite and jobs report looms; Samsung flags record AI-chip profit

Dow, S&P 500 futures dip as Trump policy headlines bite and jobs report looms; Samsung flags record AI-chip profit

U.S. stock futures slipped early Thursday, with Dow futures down 0.30% and S&P 500 futures off 0.22%, as investors awaited Friday’s jobs report. Defense stocks surged after President Trump called for a $1.5 trillion military budget; Lockheed Martin jumped 7.2% premarket. Homebuilders fell after Trump’s comments on limiting investor access to single-family homes. Oil steadied above $60 a barrel amid U.S.-Venezuela developments.
8 January 2026
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Australia stock market today: ASX 200 closes higher as tech rebounds; BlueScope pushes back on $13.2b bid

Australia stock market today: ASX 200 closes higher as tech rebounds; BlueScope pushes back on $13.2b bid

The S&P/ASX 200 closed up 0.29% at 8,720.8, led by gains in tech and healthcare, while miners fell. BlueScope rejected a A$13.2 billion takeover bid from SGH and Steel Dynamics. Ansell shares dropped 6.2% as CEO Neil Salmon announced his retirement, with Nathalie Ahlström set to take over in February. The Australian dollar slipped to about 67 U.S. cents.
8 January 2026
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Dow Jones futures slip ahead of U.S. jobs report as Trump defense budget call lifts RTX

Dow Jones futures slip ahead of U.S. jobs report as Trump defense budget call lifts RTX

Dow futures fell 146 points, or 0.30%, early Thursday after the index’s sharpest drop since November. Defense stocks rose, with RTX up 4.9%, following President Trump’s call for a $1.5 trillion military budget. Traders awaited Friday’s U.S. jobs report, with economists expecting 60,000 new jobs and unemployment at 4.5%. The Dow closed Wednesday at 48,996.08, down 0.94%.
8 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • Medline (MDLN) Faces Valuation Headwinds After 10% Pullback Amid Premium P/E
    March 12, 2026, 2:24 AM EDT. Medline's (MDLN) shares fell roughly 10.5% over 30 days, trading around $42.39, despite a 4.4% year-to-date gain. The stock commands a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 29.7x, above the US Medical Equipment industry's 27.2x and peer average of 26.5x, indicating a market premium. Analysts forecast earnings growth of 16.54% annually and revenue growth of 7.1%, with price targets about 25.5% higher than current levels. However, Medline's lower net profit margin of 4.1% (down from 4.7%), a modest 6% return on equity (ROE), and interest expenses not fully covered by earnings raise valuation concerns. The recent share pullback and fundamental challenges may temper investor expectations despite optimistic growth forecasts and earnings quality considerations.

Latest article

Wall Street Feels the Heat (and Thrill): Fed Cuts, Tariffs & Mega-Mergers Set NYSE Buzz

Stock Market Today 12.03.2026

12 March 2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: March 12, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: March 12, 2026, 2:35 AM EDT Medline (MDLN) Faces Valuation Headwinds After 10% Pullback Amid Premium P/E March 12, 2026, 2:24 AM EDT. Medline's (MDLN) shares fell roughly **10.5% over 30 days**, trading around **$42.39**, despite a **4.4% year-to-date gain**. The stock commands a **price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 29.7x**, above the US Medical Equipment industry's 27.2x and peer average of 26.5x, indicating a market premium. Analysts forecast **earnings growth of 16.54% annually** and **revenue growth of 7.1%**, with price targets about **25.5% higher** than current levels. However, Medline's **lower net profit
XRP Price Today: Ripple’s Australia License Push Keeps XRP Near $1.40

XRP Price Today: Ripple’s Australia License Push Keeps XRP Near $1.40

11 March 2026
XRP traded near $1.40, down 1.4% Wednesday, after Ripple announced plans to acquire BC Payments Australia to secure an Australian Financial Services Licence. The move comes as Australia tightens licensing rules for digital-asset firms. Broader crypto markets remained cautious amid concerns over oil prices, Iran, and U.S. inflation. Ripple’s deal is pending completion.
Natural Gas Price Today: Europe Gas Holds Firm as Brussels Weighs Cap After Qatar Shock

Natural Gas Price Today: Europe Gas Holds Firm as Brussels Weighs Cap After Qatar Shock

11 March 2026
European natural gas prices held near 48 euros per megawatt hour Wednesday as Shell declared force majeure on Qatari LNG cargoes, with disruptions expected to hit from April. Asia is bidding up for replacement fuel, while Brussels considers subsidies or a price cap. LNG Canada increased shipments, but analysts warn Europe’s gas storage could end March far below average if Qatari supply issues persist.
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