Valero Energy stock forecast: VLO in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, oil shock looms for Monday

Valero Energy stock forecast: VLO in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, oil shock looms for Monday

NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 06:55 ET — Market closed Valero Energy Corp shares were headed for a volatile reopening after U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in overnight strikes and promised details at an 11 a.m. press conference at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic said oil prices were “likely to jump on the near-term risk to supply.”  Reuters Valero (VLO) ended Friday up 1.55% at $165.31, leaving investors without an immediate read-through on how the Venezuela headlines will hit refiners until U.S. markets reopen on Monday. The stock is about
Occidental Petroleum (OXY) stock forecast: What to watch after U.S. strikes Venezuela

Occidental Petroleum (OXY) stock forecast: What to watch after U.S. strikes Venezuela

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 06:59 ET — Market closed Occidental Petroleum shares are set to be a focal point when U.S. markets reopen after the United States launched strikes inside Venezuela early Saturday, a sharp escalation in Washington’s campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.  Reuters The timing matters because oil entered 2026 under pressure after both Brent and U.S. crude posted steep 2025 declines, leaving traders sensitive to any supply shock. Venezuela holds the world’s largest crude reserves, and its politics can quickly spill into oil markets.  Reuters Occidental closed Friday up 3.06% at $42.38. In a Form 8-K —
MARA Holdings stock jumps 10% as bitcoin steadies near $90,000 — what traders watch next

MARA Holdings stock jumps 10% as bitcoin steadies near $90,000 — what traders watch next

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 06:55 ET — Market closed. MARA Holdings Inc (MARA.O) shares rose 10.2% on Friday to close at $9.91, extending a rebound in crypto-exposed stocks on the first trading day of 2026. The stock has ranged from $8.95 to $23.45 over the past 52 weeks, highlighting the volatility investors have attached to bitcoin-linked names. The move matters now because bitcoin miners often trade like a leveraged bet on the token itself. Revenue is tied largely to the bitcoin price, while costs are dominated by electricity and equipment. Bitcoin was around $89,689 early Saturday, up about 0.3%
Marathon Petroleum stock forecast: MPC in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, oil supply fears loom

Marathon Petroleum stock forecast: MPC in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, oil supply fears loom

NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 06:58 ET — Market closed Marathon Petroleum (MPC) heads into the new week with investors bracing for volatility after the United States struck Venezuela overnight and President Donald Trump said Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured and flown out of the country.  Reuters Why it matters now: Marathon is a major U.S. refiner, and its shares tend to react less to crude prices alone than to refining margins — the gap between what refiners pay for crude and what they earn selling fuels. A geopolitical shock can move both sides of that equation quickly when
UPI caps 2025 with record December surge: 21.63 billion payments worth about 28 trillion rupees

UPI caps 2025 with record December surge: 21.63 billion payments worth about 28 trillion rupees

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 06:54 ET India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a real-time system that lets users move money between bank accounts via mobile apps, logged 21.63 billion transactions in December, up 29% from a year earlier, with value up 20% to about 28 lakh crore rupees (about 28 trillion rupees), data from payments operator NPCI showed. Average daily value rose to 90,217 crore rupees from 87,721 crore in November, while daily volumes climbed to 698 million. Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), an instant bank transfer system, recorded 6.62 lakh crore rupees in value and 380 million transactions in December,
3 January 2026
D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) stock jumps to start 2026 — CES Foundry demo puts next catalyst in focus

D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) stock jumps to start 2026 — CES Foundry demo puts next catalyst in focus

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 06:46 ET — Market closed D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS) shares last closed up 7.6% at $28.13 on Friday, after swinging between $25.44 and $28.42 on about 48 million shares. The jump came as traders rotated into quantum-computing names to start the year. The move matters because the quantum-computing group tends to trade like a momentum pocket of the market — quick to react to shifts in risk appetite, and quick to reverse when investors turn defensive. It also lands just ahead of a tight cluster of near-term catalysts, led by the Consumer Technology Association’s CES
Denison Mines (DNN) stock jumps on Phoenix uranium project “construction-ready” update

Denison Mines (DNN) stock jumps on Phoenix uranium project “construction-ready” update

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 06:38 ET — Market closed. Denison Mines Corp (DNN) jumped about 13.1% to $3.03 in Friday’s U.S. session after the company said it is ready to move its flagship Phoenix uranium project into construction once final approvals arrive. The stock traded between $2.67 and $3.07 and logged about 68.4 million shares in volume. Uranium peers also rose, with Cameco up about 7.7%, Uranium Energy up about 12.2% and NexGen Energy up about 11.4%. The move matters because Phoenix, part of Denison’s Wheeler River property, is the company’s key development bet. Shifting from engineering into a
SoFi stock jumps nearly 5% to start 2026 as Jan. 30 earnings date comes into view

SoFi stock jumps nearly 5% to start 2026 as Jan. 30 earnings date comes into view

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 06:50 ET — Market closed SoFi Technologies, Inc. shares ended Friday up 4.9% at $27.46, a strong start to 2026 for the fintech lender. U.S. markets are closed on Saturday. Zacks The move puts attention on what comes next: a late-January earnings update and a macro calendar that can move rate-sensitive financial stocks quickly. SoFi’s shares often react to shifts in interest-rate expectations because the company makes consumer loans and funds part of its business through deposits. Next week’s U.S. employment report on Jan. 9 and consumer price index data on Jan. 13 are likely
Exxon Mobil stock forecast: XOM in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, Maduro capture claim

Exxon Mobil stock forecast: XOM in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, Maduro capture claim

NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 06:40 ET — Market closed U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States struck Venezuela overnight and captured President Nicolas Maduro, putting oil-linked stocks like Exxon Mobil in focus for when markets reopen. “Oil prices were likely to jump” on the near-term supply risk, said Saul Kavonic, an analyst at MST Marquee, while warning the move could turn bearish longer term if a political transition leads to sanctions being lifted and more investment returning. Reuters That matters for Exxon because crude prices remain the main swing factor for its upstream earnings, while its refining and
BigBear.ai stock (BBAI) jumps as company moves to slash $125 million of convertible debt — what’s next

BigBear.ai stock (BBAI) jumps as company moves to slash $125 million of convertible debt — what’s next

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 06:41 ET — Market closed BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (BBAI) said late Friday it has called its 6.00% convertible senior secured notes due 2029 for redemption, part of a plan to cut most of its note-related debt. BBAI shares closed up 8.15% at $5.84 and were last down about 0.5% after hours, according to MarketWatch data. BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. The move matters because convertible notes — debt that can be swapped for shares — can hang over small-cap stocks. They either dilute shareholders if converted, or hit cash if the issuer pays them back. BigBear.ai is
BP stock forecast after Venezuela strikes: what oil markets could mean for NYSE:BP on Monday

BP stock forecast after Venezuela strikes: what oil markets could mean for NYSE:BP on Monday

NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 06:43 ET — Market closed The United States carried out military strikes in Venezuela on Saturday and President Donald Trump said Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro had been captured, setting up a potentially volatile start to the week for oil-linked stocks such as BP. “Oil prices were likely to jump on the near-term risk to supply,” said Saul Kavonic, an analyst at MST Marquee. Reuters The market is closed for the weekend, so the first real-time test will come from crude futures when trading resumes, followed by Monday’s cash equity open. For BP, the immediate question
ConocoPhillips stock forecast: COP in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, oil traders brace for Monday

ConocoPhillips stock forecast: COP in focus after U.S. strikes Venezuela, oil traders brace for Monday

NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 06:50 ET — Market closed U.S. forces carried out strikes in Venezuela overnight and President Donald Trump said Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured and flown out of the country. “Oil prices were likely to jump on the near-term risk to supply,” said Saul Kavonic, an analyst at MST Marquee. Reuters Oil started 2026 after a weak 2025, with prices caught between oversupply fears and geopolitical flare-ups. Brent futures settled down 10 cents at $60.75 a barrel on Friday and U.S. West Texas Intermediate closed down 10 cents at $57.32. Reuters That matters for ConocoPhillips

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, 12:26 AM EST Dollar Dips as Stocks Rally and US Data Influences Fed Rate Expectations February 7, 2026, 12:18 AM EST. The **dollar index** fell 0.17%, pressured by a rebound in equity markets reducing demand for the safe-haven currency. Weaker-than-expected U.S. labor market data raised the odds of a Fed rate cut to 18% for March, though consumer sentiment improved to a six-month high, limiting losses. Hawkish comments from Atlanta Fed's Raphael Bostic emphasized maintaining restrictive monetary policy. The dollar faces medium-term weakness amid expectations for rate cuts
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.
Go toTop