Today: 7 February 2026
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Night sky tonight: NOAA issues geomagnetic storm watch for New Year’s weekend as supermoon nears

Night sky tonight: NOAA issues geomagnetic storm watch for New Year’s weekend as supermoon nears

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:46 ET The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued geomagnetic storm watches through Saturday after several solar eruptions, a setup that can strengthen the northern lights over parts of North America. NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center The timing matters because the first nights of 2026 coincide with a burst of solar activity that can ripple from the sky to critical infrastructure. Geomagnetic storms can push aurora farther from the poles and also stress systems that rely on radio and satellite links. For the public, the payoff is a chance — not a guarantee —
1 January 2026
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2026 stock market forecast: After 2025’s rally, Wall Street sees earnings, Fed cuts and AI spending as the big tests

2026 stock market forecast: After 2025’s rally, Wall Street sees earnings, Fed cuts and AI spending as the big tests

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:40 ET After three straight years of double-digit gains, U.S. stocks enter 2026 with strategists saying profit growth and the path for interest rates will decide whether the rally can extend. For another year of outsized returns, markets need “everything firing on all cylinders,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, who put his end-2026 target for the S&P 500 at 7,400, about 8% above current levels. Tajinder Dhillon, head of earnings research at LSEG, said S&P 500 earnings are projected to rise more than 15% in 2026 after about 13% in 2025, while
1 January 2026
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Gold price forecast for 2026: Banks map a $4,275-$5,000 range after bullion’s blockbuster year

Gold price forecast for 2026: Banks map a $4,275-$5,000 range after bullion’s blockbuster year

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:46 ET Gold and other precious metals may have room for further gains in 2026 as interest rates are expected to fall, analysts said, after gold climbed 66% in 2025. The rally pushed bullion to record highs on economic and geopolitical risks. Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at broker KCM Trade, said: “The key fundamental drivers of central bank demand and investor positioning ahead of expected lower U.S. rates in 2026 remain intact.” Reuters That matters now because investors start the year resetting hedge ratios and rebalancing portfolios after one of the most volatile year-end stretches
1 January 2026
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Bitcoin price forecast 2026: New calls see fresh highs after 2025 slide

Bitcoin price forecast 2026: New calls see fresh highs after 2025 slide

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:41 ET Crypto brokerage and research firm K33 has turned bullish on the bitcoin price forecast for 2026, telling clients it expects the cryptocurrency to rebound and outperform stocks and gold after a weak 2025. The call matters now because bitcoin’s swings have increasingly tracked broader risk appetite, pulling it closer to mainstream markets and making the 2026 outlook more sensitive to rates, policy and macro headlines. That shift leaves traders looking for clarity on the Federal Reserve’s path for interest rates and on U.S. rulemaking that could widen access to the market. Bitcoin was
1 January 2026
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No alien signal: most sensitive radio scan of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS comes up empty

No alien signal: most sensitive radio scan of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS comes up empty

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:44 ET The most sensitive radio search yet for signs of extraterrestrial technology from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has found none, researchers reported this week. The result matters because 3I/ATLAS is a rare visitor — only the third confirmed object known to have arrived from beyond the solar system — and it is already receding after a close pass by Earth in December. Scientists have used the comet’s short observing window to test how quickly they can mount deep searches for “technosignatures,” a term for signals that would look engineered rather than natural, amid a surge
1 January 2026
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Merck (MRK) stock slips into 2026 as New Year holiday shuts U.S. markets — what investors watch next

Merck (MRK) stock slips into 2026 as New Year holiday shuts U.S. markets — what investors watch next

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:30 ET — Market closed Merck & Co.’s stock ended the year’s final trading session lower and was little changed in after-hours trading — the session after the 4 p.m. close — with U.S. markets shut on Thursday for New Year’s Day. The shares closed Dec. 31 down 0.75% at $105.26 and last traded at $105.40 after hours. Investing.com+1 The holiday pause comes after Wall Street slid in thin year-end trade on Wednesday, leaving investors to reset positions for 2026 without a fresh U.S. equity session on the holiday. The S&P 500 fell 0.74% on
1 January 2026
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Home Depot stock ends 2025 lower as New Year shuts Wall Street; rates and February results in focus

Home Depot stock ends 2025 lower as New Year shuts Wall Street; rates and February results in focus

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:23 ET — Market closed. Home Depot (HD) shares ended the final regular session of 2025 down 0.6% at $344.10, with U.S. stock markets closed on Thursday for the New Year’s Day holiday. The stock traded between $343.98 and $346.69 in the session. New York Stock Exchange The late-year dip matters because Home Depot is a bellwether for U.S. home improvement demand, which often tracks housing turnover and the cost of borrowing. With 2026 beginning, investors are looking for signs that easing rates translate into bigger renovation projects and higher spending per trip. The broader
1 January 2026
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Qualcomm stock closes down to end 2025 as chip shares slide — what QCOM investors watch next

Qualcomm stock closes down to end 2025 as chip shares slide — what QCOM investors watch next

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:26 ET — Market closed. QUALCOMM Incorporated shares closed lower in the year’s final U.S. trading session, tracking a pullback in semiconductor names ahead of the New Year holiday. The timing matters. Thin year-end liquidity can exaggerate moves, and the first sessions of January often bring fresh positioning as money managers reset after tax and calendar effects. For Qualcomm, that matters because the stock often trades as a read-through on both handset demand and the broader chip cycle, which can turn quickly when macro expectations shift. U.S. stocks ended Wednesday lower, with the S&P 500
1 January 2026
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ServiceNow stock today: NOW slips at year-end as CEO McDermott contract filing flags possible co-CEO role

ServiceNow stock today: NOW slips at year-end as CEO McDermott contract filing flags possible co-CEO role

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 14:26 ET — Market closed ServiceNow (NOW) shares ended 2025 slightly lower, closing down 0.7% at $153.19 on Wednesday. U.S. stock markets are closed on Thursday for New Year’s Day. Kiplinger The latest focus for investors is a management and governance update that becomes effective on Jan. 1. In a Form 8-K — an SEC filing used to disclose significant corporate events — ServiceNow outlined an amended employment agreement for CEO Bill McDermott. SEC The filing said McDermott will remain in service to the company through at least Dec. 31, 2030, and may serve as
1 January 2026
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Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) stock: Nasdaq halt set for Jan. 2 as Synovus merger shifts shares to NYSE

Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) stock: Nasdaq halt set for Jan. 2 as Synovus merger shifts shares to NYSE

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 2:05 PM ET — Market closed Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (PNFP) shares are set to be suspended from trading effective Jan. 2 as the bank’s merger with Synovus Financial Corp. becomes effective at 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 1, Nasdaq said in a corporate actions alert. Nasdaq said Pinnacle common shareholders will receive one share of Steel Newco Inc. (to be renamed Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc.) for each Pinnacle share, while Pinnacle’s depositary shares (PNFPP) will convert into a new depositary security tied to preferred stock. NASDAQ Trader The timing matters now because the deal
1 January 2026
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Utilities stocks today: NextEra’s $4 billion share-sale plan keeps XLU under pressure into 2026

Utilities stocks today: NextEra’s $4 billion share-sale plan keeps XLU under pressure into 2026

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 1:53 PM ET — Market closed U.S. utilities stocks headed into the New Year on the back foot after NextEra Energy disclosed a $4 billion at-the-market share-sale program, a move that can add supply to the market over time. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund, an exchange-traded fund that tracks a basket of utility stocks, last closed down 0.6% at $42.69. (SEC filing) Why it matters now: utilities are among the most interest-rate-sensitive parts of the equity market because investors often value them for steady cash flows and dividends. When financing costs rise or equity
1 January 2026
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Real estate stocks today: REITs slip into 2026 as yields rise; XLRE ends 2025 lower

Real estate stocks today: REITs slip into 2026 as yields rise; XLRE ends 2025 lower

NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 13:55 ET — Market closed. U.S. real estate stocks ended 2025 on the back foot, with the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) down 0.9% on Wednesday at $40.35. The Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) fell 0.8% to $88.49. Yahoo Finance The sector’s slide matters because real estate investment trusts, or REITs, are often treated as “bond proxies” — their dividend-heavy cash flows look less attractive when government yields rise. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed 3.5 basis points, or 0.035 percentage point, to 4.163% after a labor-market reading showed an unexpected drop in
1 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

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

Stock Market Today 07.02.2026

7 February 2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: February 7, 2026, 12:00 AM ESTUpdated: February 7, 2026, 12:11 AM EST CleanSpark (CLSK) Shares Show Volatility Amid Bitcoin Mining Growth Prospects February 7, 2026, 12:02 AM EST. CleanSpark (CLSK), a bitcoin mining firm, saw a sharp 21.96% rise in one day after a 35.26% decline over 90 days. The company posted $785 million in annual revenue but a net loss of $267 million. Despite recent share price volatility, analysts estimate a fair value of $23.16 per share, more than double the current $10.08 price, reflecting expectations of expansion in mining capacity and improved margins. The valuation
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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