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.

Walmart Stock (WMT) News and Forecast: Dec. 21, 2025 Update on Price, Analyst Targets, and 2026 Catalysts

Walmart Stock (WMT) News and Forecast: Dec. 21, 2025 Update on Price, Analyst Targets, and 2026 Catalysts

Walmart Inc. stock (NASDAQ: WMT) heads into the final stretch of 2025 with investors juggling a rare mix of “steady-eddy retailer” fundamentals and very un-retail-like headlines: a major CEO transition, a historic exchange switch to Nasdaq, rapid growth in advertising and e-commerce, and a cluster of legal and regulatory developments that could influence near-term sentiment. Because December 21, 2025 is a Sunday (U.S. markets closed), the most current read on Walmart shares reflects the latest completed trading session. As of the most recent data available, WMT last traded around $114.36, modestly lower on the session, after moving between roughly the
21 December 2025
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Verizon Stock (VZ) News Today: Frontier Deal Approvals, 5G Tower Partnership, Dividend Outlook and 2026 Catalysts (Dec. 21, 2025)

Verizon Stock (VZ) News Today: Frontier Deal Approvals, 5G Tower Partnership, Dividend Outlook and 2026 Catalysts (Dec. 21, 2025)

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) heads into the final full trading week of 2025 with investors focused on two big themes: the march toward closing its Frontier Communications acquisition and the company’s push to keep network investment efficient while protecting cash flow. With U.S. markets closed on Sunday, December 21, 2025, the most recent trading print reflects Friday’s session, when VZ was around $39.82. That price level keeps Verizon in familiar territory for late 2025: a high-dividend, value-leaning telecom stock that tends to move more on deal progress, competitive dynamics, and cash-flow confidence than on headline-grabbing product launches. Verizon stock
21 December 2025
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DWP Christmas Payments 2025: Full List of Early Universal Credit and Benefit Dates, Jobcentre Opening Times and £10 Christmas Bonus

DWP Christmas Payments 2025: Full List of Early Universal Credit and Benefit Dates, Jobcentre Opening Times and £10 Christmas Bonus

London — Sunday, 21 December 2025. With Christmas week now days away, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC guidance is clear: some benefit and pension payments will arrive earlier than usual because of the Christmas and New Year bank holidays — and Jobcentre Plus and key helplines will run reduced hours on specific days. GOV.UK+2GOV.UK+2 For millions of households relying on Universal Credit, PIP, Pension Credit, State Pension and other payments, the practical message is simple: know your revised date, budget for a longer gap until the next payment, and check opening times before calling or visiting.
21 December 2025
Visa Stock (NYSE: V) News and Forecasts on Dec. 21, 2025: Stablecoin Settlement, Swipe-Fee Litigation, and Wall Street’s 2026 Outlook

Visa Stock (NYSE: V) News and Forecasts on Dec. 21, 2025: Stablecoin Settlement, Swipe-Fee Litigation, and Wall Street’s 2026 Outlook

Published: Sunday, December 21, 2025 Visa Inc. is ending the week with the kind of headline combo that makes markets feel like a physics experiment: one force pushing optimism (new payment rails for stablecoins and AI-powered commerce), and another pulling it back to Earth (merchant-fee litigation and regulatory scrutiny). As of the most recent market close (Friday, Dec. 19), Visa stock finished at $349.25, with a 52-week range of $299.00 to $375.51. Visa Investor Relations What follows is a detailed, publication-ready breakdown of the latest Visa stock news, fresh analyst forecasts, and the big-picture themes investors are weighing as 2025
21 December 2025
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IonQ Stock (IONQ) News and Forecasts on Dec. 21, 2025: New Europe Deals, Fresh Wall Street Coverage, and What Comes Next

IonQ Stock (IONQ) News and Forecasts on Dec. 21, 2025: New Europe Deals, Fresh Wall Street Coverage, and What Comes Next

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ) is closing out 2025 back in the center of the “quantum trade,” driven by a mix of company announcements in Europe and a wave of new Wall Street coverage that put big numbers on a still-early industry. As of the latest available trading data heading into Sunday, December 21, 2025, IonQ shares were recently around $48.48 after a volatile week that included sharp up-and-down moves. StockAnalysis This week’s IonQ story, in one sentence: the company is stacking up partnerships and government-adjacent milestones, while analysts argue over whether the stock’s long-term potential justifies today’s valuation. Reuters+3IonQ+3IonQ Investors+3
21 December 2025
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Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) Stock News and Forecasts: Buybacks, Rate Cuts, Motor Finance Risk and What Analysts Expect Next

Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) Stock News and Forecasts: Buybacks, Rate Cuts, Motor Finance Risk and What Analysts Expect Next

Lloyds Banking Group plc (LSE: LLOY; NYSE ADR: LYG) heads into the final stretch of 2025 with its share price hovering just shy of the psychologically loud £1 level—an eye-catching milestone for a UK retail banking heavyweight that spent years stuck in the “forever 40–60p” purgatory. As of the latest market close (Friday, 19 December 2025), Lloyds shares finished at 97.42p, trading just below their 52‑week high of 97.74p set earlier this month. Trading volume also jumped well above the recent average, a sign that a lot of investors are paying attention to this move. MarketWatch So what’s powering the
21 December 2025
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Standard Chartered PLC (LSE: STAN) Stock: Near a 52‑Week High on Buybacks, Better Returns — and a New Set of Analyst Targets for 2026

Standard Chartered PLC (LSE: STAN) Stock: Near a 52‑Week High on Buybacks, Better Returns — and a New Set of Analyst Targets for 2026

Standard Chartered PLC shares have pushed up to the top end of their 2025 trading range, as investors weigh an improving profitability story and steady capital returns against a noisier backdrop of regulatory and legal headlines. As of the last market close before the weekend (Friday, 19 December 2025), Standard Chartered stock closed at 1,788.50p after trading between 1,779.00p and 1,808.50p on the day — a level that also marks the top of its 52‑week range. Yahoo Finance+2Investing.com+2 What’s behind the move, and what matters next for STAN investors as 2026 approaches? Here’s a full roundup of the latest news,
21 December 2025
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Rolls-Royce Holdings Stock (RR.L) Forecast & News: £200m Buyback, Defence Momentum and the 2026 Outlook

Rolls-Royce Holdings Stock (RR.L) Forecast & News: £200m Buyback, Defence Momentum and the 2026 Outlook

December 21, 2025 — Rolls-Royce Holdings plc shares (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY) are ending 2025 with momentum again, helped by a fresh capital return plan and a steady drip of operational and contract updates across Civil Aerospace, Defence and Power Systems. The stock closed at £11.70 (1,170p) on Friday, December 19, leaving it just a touch below its 52‑week high of £11.96 (set on September 29). MarketWatch+1 But the bigger story for investors isn’t “one more good week.” It’s whether Rolls‑Royce can convert its turnaround into something rarer: a durable, cash‑generating industrial compounder — while the market is already pricing
21 December 2025
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BP plc Stock News and Forecasts (Dec. 21, 2025): Meg O’Neill Named CEO, Buyback Questions, and Analyst Targets for BP.L and NYSE:BP

BP plc Stock News and Forecasts (Dec. 21, 2025): Meg O’Neill Named CEO, Buyback Questions, and Analyst Targets for BP.L and NYSE:BP

Dec. 21, 2025 — BP plc stock is heading into the final stretch of 2025 with a rare mix of certainty (a new chief executive is locked in) and uncertainty (what that CEO will actually do with BP’s portfolio, debt, and capital returns). Over the past several days, the company has confirmed a leadership handover to Woodside Energy’s Meg O’Neill, markets have revived the “BP as a takeover target” debate, and analysts have sharpened their views on what the oil price needs to be for BP’s dividends and buybacks to remain comfortable. London South East+2Reuters+2 Below is a full roundup
21 December 2025
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Shell PLC Stock (SHEL) News & Forecasts on Dec. 21, 2025: Buybacks, Deepwater Bets, and What Analysts See for 2026

Shell PLC Stock (SHEL) News & Forecasts on Dec. 21, 2025: Buybacks, Deepwater Bets, and What Analysts See for 2026

Shell plc stock (trading as SHEL in London and New York) heads into the final stretch of 2025 with a familiar investor storyline—cash returns first—but with a few spicy plot twists: a fresh Gulf of Mexico oil recovery investment, ongoing share buybacks, renewed M&A chatter, and a UK audit-watchdog probe that brings governance risk back into the headlines. Reuters+3MarketWatch+3Shell+3 Because Dec. 21, 2025 is a Sunday, markets are closed; the most recent reference point is Friday’s close (Dec. 19). Shell shares ended around £27.03 in London, while the NYSE-listed American Depositary Shares (ADS) closed at about $72.02. (Each Shell ADS
21 December 2025
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British American Tobacco Stock (BATS.L, BTI): £1.3bn Buyback, 2026 Outlook, and What Analysts Forecast as of Dec. 21, 2025

British American Tobacco Stock (BATS.L, BTI): £1.3bn Buyback, 2026 Outlook, and What Analysts Forecast as of Dec. 21, 2025

Dec. 21, 2025 — British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) heads into year-end with a familiar investor tug-of-war: the market loves the company’s cash returns (dividends + buybacks), but keeps side-eyeing the regulatory and competitive turbulence in “smokeless” products—especially in the United States. With markets closed on Sunday, the latest reference point is Friday’s close (Dec. 19, 2025). BAT’s London-listed shares (LSE: BATS) ended the session at £42.36 (4,236p), down 1.14% on the day, even as the FTSE 100 rose. Trading volume was notably elevated versus the recent average—often a sign that investors are actively repositioning rather than simply drifting. MarketWatch+1
21 December 2025
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HSBC Stock News and Forecast (Dec. 21, 2025): HSBC Shares Near Highs as Broker Upgrades, Hang Seng Buyout and Rate-Cut Bets Collide

HSBC Stock News and Forecast (Dec. 21, 2025): HSBC Shares Near Highs as Broker Upgrades, Hang Seng Buyout and Rate-Cut Bets Collide

HSBC Holdings Plc stock is closing out 2025 with the kind of price action that makes both momentum traders and long-term investors sit up straighter in their chairs. As of Dec. 21, 2025 (a Sunday, with markets shut), HSBC’s key listings are hovering near recent highs: London-listed HSBA at about 1,167p, Hong Kong-listed 0005 at about HK$119.30, and the NYSE ADR (HSBC) around $77.92, according to HSBC’s own investor quote panel updated late Dec. 20. HSBC That’s the headline. The more interesting story is what’s underneath it: a late-December catalyst stack that includes broker upgrades, renewed rate-cut expectations, a $13.6
21 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

7 February 2026
Seagate shares rose 5.9% to $429.32 Friday after Citigroup raised its price target to $480 and reiterated a buy rating. The gain ended a two-day slide but left the stock 6.6% below its Feb. 3 high. CEO Dave Mosley sold 20,000 shares on Feb. 2 under a pre-arranged plan, SEC filings show. U.S. jobs and inflation data next week are seen as key tests for tech stocks.
Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

7 February 2026
Cummins shares jumped 6.8% to $577.73 Friday, recovering from a nearly 9% post-earnings drop the day before. The company reported Q4 revenue up 1% to $8.54 billion, took a $218 million charge tied to its hydrogen business, and guided for 2026 EBITDA of 17–18% of sales. Demand for data center generators offset weakness in North American truck markets. Analyst reaction was mixed; Truist raised its price target.
Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

7 February 2026
Corning shares surged 8.3% to $122.16 Friday, their highest close since the dot-com era, after Meta agreed to buy up to $6 billion in fiber-optic cables. The stock is up 40% since late 2025, fueled by strong first-quarter guidance and AI data-center demand. Insiders sold shares following the rally, SEC filings show. Investors await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data for rate signals.
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