Basic materials stocks limp into February after metals crash — what to watch next week

Basic materials stocks limp into February after metals crash — what to watch next week

U.S. basic materials stocks led declines Friday, with the S&P 500 materials index down 1.9% as gold, silver, and copper prices fell sharply from record highs. Newmont dropped 11.5%, Freeport-McMoRan lost 7.5%, while Air Products rose 6.4%. Spot gold sank 4.7% to $5,143.40 an ounce; silver tumbled 11%. Investors weighed weak China demand and the nomination of Kevin Warsh to head the Fed.
AstraZeneca share price: $18.5 billion China obesity-drug deal puts AZN stock in focus for Monday

AstraZeneca share price: $18.5 billion China obesity-drug deal puts AZN stock in focus for Monday

AstraZeneca agreed to license obesity drug candidates from CSPC Pharmaceutical in a deal worth up to $18.5 billion, paying $1.2 billion upfront. AstraZeneca shares rose 0.65% in London, while CSPC shares fell nearly 12% in Hong Kong. The deal gives AstraZeneca rights outside Greater China and includes a once-monthly GLP-1/GIP agonist entering Phase I trials. AstraZeneca will also delist its ADS from Nasdaq and move to the NYSE.
Lam Research Corporation stock drops 6% into the weekend: what LRCX traders watch next

Lam Research Corporation stock drops 6% into the weekend: what LRCX traders watch next

Lam Research shares fell 5.9% to $233.46 Friday, despite strong earnings and a bullish forecast earlier in the week. The stock swung nearly $20 during heavy trading as investors focused on export-control risks and upcoming economic data. China made up 39% of Lam’s recent revenue, and tighter U.S. license rules remain a concern. The S&P 500 also slipped 0.43% Friday.
XLRE price: Real estate stocks hold steady after Warsh Fed pick — what to watch Monday

XLRE price: Real estate stocks hold steady after Warsh Fed pick — what to watch Monday

Real estate stocks edged higher for the week but slipped after hours, with the XLRE fund closing at $41.43 before falling 0.8% post-market. Trump named Kevin Warsh as his pick for Federal Reserve chair, stirring speculation over future rate cuts. Producer prices rose 0.5% in December, above forecasts. The S&P 500 dropped 0.43% Friday; the 10-year Treasury yield hovered near 4.24%.
Communication Services stocks: Verizon surge lifts Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund as Alphabet, Walt Disney earnings loom

Communication Services stocks: Verizon surge lifts Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund as Alphabet, Walt Disney earnings loom

Verizon surged 11.8% after forecasting higher annual profit and free cash flow, and launching a $25 billion buyback. Charter Communications rose 7.6% on a smaller-than-expected broadband subscriber loss. Meta Platforms fell nearly 3% after raising its 2026 capital spending forecast by 73%. The S&P 500 slipped 0.43% amid Fed chair news and inflation data.
American Express stock price slips after earnings — dividend hike, Trump rate-cap risk and jobs report ahead

American Express stock price slips after earnings — dividend hike, Trump rate-cap risk and jobs report ahead

American Express shares fell 1.8% to $352.17 Friday after forecasting 2026 EPS of $17.30–$17.90 and announcing a dividend hike to 95 cents. Fourth-quarter billed business rose 9% to $445.1 billion, with revenue up 10% to $19 billion. Investors remain focused on Fed policy and the upcoming February 6 U.S. jobs report.
Tech stocks face a Monday test after Trump taps Warsh for Fed as Big Tech earnings line up

Tech stocks face a Monday test after Trump taps Warsh for Fed as Big Tech earnings line up

Nasdaq fell 0.94% Friday, led by a 4.1% drop in semiconductor ETFs and losses in major tech stocks after a hotter-than-expected PPI report. The 10-year Treasury yield hovered near 4.25%. Apple projected strong March-quarter revenue growth, while Tesla rose 3.3% against declines in Meta and Nvidia. Investors now await earnings from Alphabet, Amazon, and AMD, plus the Feb. 6 U.S. jobs report.
Healthcare stocks hold up as Lilly’s $3.5 billion plant plan hits tape; biotech bruised

Healthcare stocks hold up as Lilly’s $3.5 billion plant plan hits tape; biotech bruised

Eli Lilly shares rose 1.3% after announcing a $3.5 billion Pennsylvania plant for obesity drugs, helping the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund gain 0.6% as the S&P 500 fell. Biotech lagged, with Corcept Therapeutics dropping 10.6% after an FDA rejection. Thermo Fisher slid 2.3% on weak profit guidance. Stryker jumped 4.3% after raising its outlook.
Cloud computing stocks: SKYY ETF slides as Alphabet, Amazon earnings and jobs data loom

Cloud computing stocks: SKYY ETF slides as Alphabet, Amazon earnings and jobs data loom

Cloud computing stocks fell Friday, with the First Trust Cloud Computing ETF down 2.0% and WisdomTree’s fund off 1.3%. Microsoft slipped 0.8%, Amazon dropped 1.0%, Oracle lost 2.6%, and Snowflake fell 3.3%. Alphabet reports earnings Feb. 4, Amazon on Feb. 5, and the U.S. jobs report is due Feb. 6.
Data center stocks drop before a packed week: what to watch for Equinix, Digital Realty, Vertiv

Data center stocks drop before a packed week: what to watch for Equinix, Digital Realty, Vertiv

Vertiv shares fell 4.5% and Arista Networks dropped 4.3% Friday as data center stocks slid, with the Global X Data Center ETF down 2.5%. The declines followed Microsoft’s cloud revenue miss and came ahead of key REIT earnings and the Feb. 6 U.S. jobs report. Broader markets also dropped after Donald Trump said he would nominate Kevin Warsh as Fed chair.

Stock Market Today

Walmart stock jumps to $131 as traders brace for CPI and Feb. 19 earnings

Walmart stock jumps to $131 as traders brace for CPI and Feb. 19 earnings

7 February 2026
Walmart shares rose 3.3% Friday to $131.18, up 10% since Jan. 30, as the Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. The retailer’s market value crossed $1 trillion this week. Investors await January inflation data on Feb. 13 and Walmart’s quarterly results on Feb. 19 for signs of continued momentum.
Caterpillar stock price jumps 7% to $726 as Dow cracks 50,000 — what matters next week

Caterpillar stock price jumps 7% to $726 as Dow cracks 50,000 — what matters next week

7 February 2026
Caterpillar shares surged 7.1% to $726.20 Friday, driving the Dow above 50,000 for the first time. The move erased recent losses and followed insider selling by Group President Bob De Lange earlier in the week. Deere and CNH Industrial also gained as investors rotated into industrial stocks. Markets await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data.
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