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Market Analysis News 26 December 2025 - 27 December 2025

Global M&A Boom in 2025: Dealmaking Hits $4.5 Trillion as Trump Antitrust Shift Fuels Megadeals and the Warner Bros Bidding War

Global M&A Boom in 2025: Dealmaking Hits $4.5 Trillion as Trump Antitrust Shift Fuels Megadeals and the Warner Bros Bidding War

Wall Street is ending 2025 the way it likes to start a new year: with phones buzzing, lawyers on standby, and bankers quietly admitting that “holiday break” has become more of an aspiration than a schedule. In the final stretch of December alone, $463.6 billion in mergers and acquisitions were announced, according to Dealogic data cited by Reuters—helping turn the year-end lull into one of the busiest dealmaking periods in recent memory. Reuters Behind the surge is a mix of boardroom confidence, buoyant valuations, and an increasingly permissive view of deal risk. But one factor is dominating both headlines and
27 December 2025
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Walmart Stock (WMT) Weekend Watch: Price, Fresh News, Analyst Forecasts, and What to Know Before the Next Market Session

Walmart Stock (WMT) Weekend Watch: Price, Fresh News, Analyst Forecasts, and What to Know Before the Next Market Session

New York time check: It is 2:35 a.m. ET on Saturday, December 27, 2025 in New York. With U.S. markets closed for the weekend, Walmart Inc. (WMT) heads into the final trading days of 2025 in a familiar role—a defensive retail bellwether—but with an increasingly unfamiliar narrative: investors are also treating it like a tech-and-logistics compounding story. Walmart stock price right now and why “right now” matters Because it’s Saturday, the Nasdaq and NYSE are closed. The most recent available quote shows Walmart (WMT) at $111.74, up about 0.12% versus the prior close, with about 9.0 million shares traded and
27 December 2025
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Wheaton Precious Metals Stock (WPM) Heads Into the Weekend With Momentum as Gold and Silver Go Parabolic — Key News, Analyst Targets, and What to Watch Before Monday

Wheaton Precious Metals Stock (WPM) Heads Into the Weekend With Momentum as Gold and Silver Go Parabolic — Key News, Analyst Targets, and What to Watch Before Monday

New York time check: It’s 1:53 a.m. ET on Saturday, December 27, 2025, which means U.S. stock markets are closed and investors are now in “weekend risk + year-end liquidity” mode. Even with the closing bell long gone, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE: WPM) remains in the spotlight because the real driver of its short-term price action—precious metals prices—has been making historic moves. As of the latest available quote, WPM stock is around $124.22, up about 1.85% versus the prior close, with Friday’s session range roughly $121.41 to $124.82. Why WPM Stock Is Getting So Much Attention Right Now Wheaton
27 December 2025
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Target Stock (NYSE: TGT) Surges on Activist Stake Report: What Investors Need to Watch Before Monday’s Open

Target Stock (NYSE: TGT) Surges on Activist Stake Report: What Investors Need to Watch Before Monday’s Open

New York — Late Friday, December 26, 2025: Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) shares were trading around $99.55, up about 3% on the day, after reports that an activist investor has taken a significant stake in the retailer. Reuters The move comes as Wall Street heads into the final stretch of 2025 near record territory, but with thin post-holiday volumes and fewer immediate catalysts. In Friday’s session, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all finished slightly lower, a pause after a strong run into the holidays. Reuters For Target stock, the headline is bigger than a single-day pop: investors are weighing
27 December 2025
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Citigroup Stock (NYSE: C) News and Outlook: Citi’s 2025 Rally, Regulatory Relief, and What to Watch Before the Next Session

Citigroup Stock (NYSE: C) News and Outlook: Citi’s 2025 Rally, Regulatory Relief, and What to Watch Before the Next Session

Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C) is ending the week with momentum — but also with investors facing a familiar year-end challenge: thin liquidity, headline sensitivity, and a market hovering near record highs as the calendar winds down. As of 7:46 p.m. ET in New York on Friday, December 26, 2025, the U.S. core stock-market session has already ended, with extended-hours trading still running into the evening. New York Stock Exchange Citi shares were last indicated around $120.42, down about 0.9% from the prior close after a session that saw a wide intraday range. Below is what’s moving Citigroup stock now, what
27 December 2025
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JPMorgan Chase (JPM) Stock Near Record Levels Into Year-End: What’s Driving the Rally, Key News, and What to Watch Before the Next Market Session

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) Stock Near Record Levels Into Year-End: What’s Driving the Rally, Key News, and What to Watch Before the Next Market Session

As of 7:41 p.m. ET in New York on Friday, December 26, 2025, the U.S. stock market’s regular session has ended, leaving investors to digest a year-end rally that has pushed major indexes close to record territory and helped keep JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) in focus heading into the final trading days of 2025. JPM stock last traded around $327.91, down about 0.4% versus the prior close, after a session that saw shares range from $326.55 to $330.82. With thin post-holiday volumes, a “Santa Claus rally” setup, and a steady drumbeat of bank-specific catalysts—ranging from expense guidance to
27 December 2025
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Oracle Stock (ORCL) Today: Shares Hold Near $198 After Holiday Trading as Wall Street Weighs AI Spending, OpenAI Exposure, and 2026 Outlook

Oracle Stock (ORCL) Today: Shares Hold Near $198 After Holiday Trading as Wall Street Weighs AI Spending, OpenAI Exposure, and 2026 Outlook

NEW YORK — Friday, December 26, 2025 (5:00 p.m. ET). Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) finished a quiet, post‑Christmas session near $198 as investors balanced a strong year‑end backdrop for U.S. equities with renewed scrutiny of Oracle’s AI‑era spending plans and funding strategy. At roughly 5 p.m. ET, ORCL last traded around $197.99, up about 0.26% from the prior close, after moving between $196.13 and $200.29 during the day. The broader market offered few catalysts: U.S. stocks ended the session essentially flat-to-slightly lower in light volume, with the S&P 500 closing at 6,929.94 and the Nasdaq Composite at 23,593.10 as investors
27 December 2025
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Microsoft Stock (MSFT) After the Close: AI Spending Debate, Azure Momentum, and What to Watch Before Monday’s Open (New York, Dec. 26, 2025)

Microsoft Stock (MSFT) After the Close: AI Spending Debate, Azure Momentum, and What to Watch Before Monday’s Open (New York, Dec. 26, 2025)

As of 4:37 p.m. ET in New York on Friday, December 26, 2025, the New York Stock Exchange’s regular session has already closed, with after-hours trading underway. New York Stock Exchange In late trading, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was around $487.71, essentially flat on the day (down about 0.04% versus the prior close), valuing the company at roughly $3.85 trillion. That quiet tape fits the broader market mood: U.S. stocks finished a light-volume, post-Christmas session nearly unchanged, with investors still watching the year-end “Santa Claus rally” window for direction heading into 2026. Reuters+1 Where MSFT Stands in Today’s Market Tape
26 December 2025
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XRP Price Today Holds Near $1.85 as Wall Street Closes Near Record Highs: Ripple’s Bank Charter, XRP ETF Flows, and the Fed Outlook Investors Are Watching

XRP Price Today Holds Near $1.85 as Wall Street Closes Near Record Highs: Ripple’s Bank Charter, XRP ETF Flows, and the Fed Outlook Investors Are Watching

As of 5:04 p.m. ET in New York on Friday, December 26, 2025, XRP is trading around $1.85, down about 1% over the past 24 hours, with roughly $2.4B in 24-hour trading volume and a market cap near $112B. CoinMarketCap That timing matters: U.S. stocks have finished the regular session, and the market is now in the post-close stretch (after-hours in many names, but the main cash session is done). Crypto, of course, keeps trading—meaning XRP can continue reacting tonight and through the weekend to macro headlines, ETF flow chatter, and liquidity conditions even while the NYSE is dark. Wall
26 December 2025
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Bitcoin Price Today: BTC Holds Near $87K After Wall Street Close as ETF Outflows and $23B Options Expiry Keep Volatility Elevated

Bitcoin Price Today: BTC Holds Near $87K After Wall Street Close as ETF Outflows and $23B Options Expiry Keep Volatility Elevated

New York — As of 5:04 p.m. ET on Friday, December 26, 2025, Bitcoin is trading around $87,438, down about 0.5% on the day, after swinging between roughly $86,670 and $89,416. The timing matters: U.S. stocks just finished a muted, post-Christmas session near record levels, and the New York Stock Exchange’s core trading window (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET) is now closed—meaning spot Bitcoin ETFs and many institutional “on-ramps” to BTC are offline until the next session, even though Bitcoin itself continues to trade around the clock. New York Stock Exchange+1 Below is what’s driving Bitcoin price action late
26 December 2025
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Silver Price Today: Spot Silver Hits Fresh Record Near $79 as Fed Rate-Cut Bets and Tight Supply Supercharge the Rally

Silver Price Today: Spot Silver Hits Fresh Record Near $79 as Fed Rate-Cut Bets and Tight Supply Supercharge the Rally

New York — 5:04 p.m. ET, Friday, December 26, 2025. Silver is closing out the week with a statement move. After breaking through multiple psychological levels in thin, year-end trading, spot silver (XAG/USD) pushed into new all-time highs on Friday, extending a powerful 2025 run that has turned the “white metal” into one of the standout performers across global markets. Reuters+1 By late afternoon in New York, Kitco was quoting spot silver around $79.14/oz (bid) and $79.26/oz (ask), with a day’s range roughly $71.89 to $79.33—a swing that underscores just how volatile the market has become into year-end. Kitco At
26 December 2025
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Dow Jones Today: DJIA Slips After Christmas, Holds Near Record Territory — What Wall Street Is Watching Before Monday’s Open

Dow Jones Today: DJIA Slips After Christmas, Holds Near Record Territory — What Wall Street Is Watching Before Monday’s Open

NEW YORK (as of 5:02 p.m. ET, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025) — U.S. markets are closed for the day, with the New York Stock Exchange’s core trading session running from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. New York Stock Exchange The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) finished Friday’s post-Christmas session down 20.19 points (‑0.04%) at 48,710.97, barely changed but still hovering close to all-time highs after a strong year-end run. The broader market also drifted: the S&P 500 slipped 2.11 points (‑0.03%) to 6,929.94, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 20.21 points (‑0.09%) to 23,593.10. Reuters+1 Even with Friday’s pause, the
26 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

Lloyds share price steadies after buyback update and BoE rate jitters — what to watch next week

Lloyds share price steadies after buyback update and BoE rate jitters — what to watch next week

7 February 2026
Lloyds shares closed up 0.9% at 106.75 pence Friday after the bank announced fresh buybacks totaling 17 million shares over two days, all to be cancelled. The stock rebounded from a 5.6% drop Thursday as traders adjusted UK rate-cut bets. About 121 million Lloyds shares changed hands. Investors await the bank’s annual report on February 18 and the next Bank of England decision March 19.
Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

7 February 2026
Vodafone shares rose 1.47% to 110.60p Friday, recovering part of Thursday’s 4.68% drop after a Q3 update. Group revenue climbed 6.5% to €10.5 billion, but Germany’s 0.7% service revenue growth missed some forecasts. Vodafone launched a new €500 million buyback tranche, bringing total buybacks since May to €3.5 billion. Investors remain focused on Germany’s pace and cash flow execution.
NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

7 February 2026
NatWest shares closed up 1.45% at 659.4 pence Friday, buoyed by a buyback of 797,428 shares and a new digital mortgage deal with Rightmove. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but signaled possible cuts, with markets pricing in two reductions for 2026. NatWest plans to expand its Accelerator community to 50,000 members by 2026. Annual results are due Feb. 13.
Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

7 February 2026
Unilever shares closed flat at 5,250p in London Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.6% gain. The company issued 4.2 million new shares for employee plans, bringing total shares to over 2.18 billion. Investors await Q4 and full-year results on Feb. 12, with analyst consensus pointing to 3.9% Q4 sales growth. Unilever’s U.S. ADR rose 0.8% to $72.12.
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