Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) Increases Cash Holdings as Bitcoin Premium Faces Banking Sector Adoption Test
Strategy Inc. raised $263.5 million from the sale of 2.73 million common shares last week. No bitcoin was purchased.
Western Union (NYSE:WU) shares jump 13% as merger spread almost doubles
The Western Union Company closed at $8.88 on Friday, rising roughly 6.4%. The stock advanced 13.3% for the week, as the S&P 500 dropped 1.6%. Regular U.S. trading had ended.
Citigroup (NYSE: C) shares fall as return guidance points to weaker second half
Citigroup is maintaining its full-year RoTCE goal of 10%-11%, but this signals a marked slowdown for the second half. Based on straightforward math, second-half RoTCE is estimated at approximately 6.9%-8.9%.
Five Stocks to Watch as Earnings Quality Moves Market by 34 Points
International Business Machines Corp, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Citigroup Inc, Wells Fargo & Co, and JPMorgan Chase & Co are on the watchlist for Wednesday, after Tuesday’s results spread out a 34.2-point gap from top to bottom performers. Investors weren’t just chasing earnings beats—they put money behind repeatable revenue and walked away from preliminary numbers or companies with muddy cost outlooks.
Bank stocks mixed as market eyes guidance over profit beats
Goldman Sachs surged 9.0% at the close Tuesday, while Citigroup dropped 5.3%. That’s a 14.3-point spread. Investors seemed to look past just the latest results and price in the next two quarters. Both banks topped second-quarter profit estimates.
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) stock drops despite 15% profit beat as return target points to slower second half
Citigroup Inc. shares fell 4.4% to $134.47 by 12:55 p.m. in New York on Tuesday, reversing an early gain of 2% even after the bank beat second-quarter profit estimates by about 15%. The roughly 6.4-percentage-point swing accelerated as management said a stronger business climate would also support more investment. Investors were trading the cost and return path ahead, not the quarter just reported.
JPMorgan Earnings Week Puts $35 Billion at Stake; Citi Hikes Buyback Target
JPMorgan Chase options are pricing in a possible $35 billion move in market value tied to Tuesday’s results. Weekly options suggest a 3.77% swing through Friday, which translates to $34.9 billion on the bank’s $925.1 billion market cap. JPMorgan shares slipped 0.7% to $334.27 on Monday afternoon.
Oil Surge Pushes 2-Year Treasury Yield to 17-Month Peak, Curve Keeps Steady
The two-year U.S. Treasury yield hit a peak not seen since February 2025 on Monday, as oil jumped again. Traders bet the Fed could hike rates one more time. Brent crude surged 4.5% to $79.43 when new U.S.-Iran attacks raised alarms over shipping risk at the Strait of Hormuz.
Top Stocks to Watch Now: The Bank-and-Chip Test That Could Decide Wall Street’s Next Move
Wall Street’s next move hinges on whether profits can broaden beyond artificial intelligence, not on another easy headline beat. The answer is cautiously positive, but the bar is high: year-forward S&P 500 earnings estimates have risen 21% in 2026, roughly twice the index’s gain, while projected second-quarter profit growth has been revised to 23.4% from 15.2% in January. That lifts the growth hurdle by about 54%. Technology earnings are expected to jump more than 65%, so Tuesday’s banks will test whether the rally can spread; chip-equipment and contract-manufacturing leaders later in the week will test valuation. “Earnings are even stronger,” Nationwide strategist Mark Hackett said.
The Biggest Earnings Reports This Week: Banks, TSMC and Netflix Put Wall Street’s Profit Boom on Trial
The market’s central question is whether the profit surge can broaden beyond artificial-intelligence chips and energy without exposing weaker credit. The evidence points to a cautious yes: analysts expect S&P 500 second-quarter earnings to rise 23.4% from a year earlier, and this week’s bank slate will test loan demand and consumer health. The answer still hinges on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. defending its high-growth, heavy-investment outlook. Guidance — management’s forecast for coming quarters — matters more now than another round of backward-looking beats.
Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT) Steady After Two Analyst Cuts; Buyback Could Hit 5%
Mattel Inc. closed Friday at $13.33, 1.1% higher, even after two price-target downgrades over two days. The stock ended the week nearly unchanged. It fell to a 52-week low at $12.73 on Thursday, but the S&P 500 added 1.2% for the week. U.S. markets were closed Saturday.
SWIFT Blockchain Goes Live With 17 Banks—But the Pilot Math Tells a Cautious Story
SWIFT said its blockchain ledger was ready for initial use this week with 17 banks across six continents, including Citigroup and HSBC Holdings, opening a controlled test of round-the-clock cross-border transfers using bank-issued digital deposits. The investor question is no longer whether SWIFT can build the layer, but whether its distribution network can produce meaningful payment traffic.
Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) Stock Touches All-Time High on Citi’s $90 Target; One Target Still Higher
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated finished Friday at an all-time high of $82.76, rising 5.5% after Citi, part of Citigroup, bumped its target to $90 from $76 and maintained a Buy call. The stock hit $84.17 earlier in the session, trading nearly 2.29 million shares.
Bitcoin lending bounces back, Wall Street credit takes lead as $60,000 level looms
Silicon Valley Bank, part of First Citizens BancShares, put bitcoin-backed loans in front of credit investors again, saying the business has shifted from failed crypto firms to overcollateralized lending, bank lines, and rated ABS. CoinDesk and FinanceFeeds reported on the change in the last 24 hours. Bitcoin traded under $60,000 at the time.
Industrials trade ahead of S&P 500 as FedEx, inflation data in focus
Industrial names in the U.S. outperformed the market last week, getting a boost from lower oil that helped transports, while buyers stuck with equipment makers tied to power and data-center buildouts. Now traders want to see if earnings and numbers will back up the rally’s split.
S&P 500 faces Warsh push as Citi eyes 8,100 on AI earnings
U.S. stocks kicked off the week higher as investors weighed a slide in oil and optimism over AI. The S&P 500 was up around 1.5% early Monday. Oil dropped after the U.S. and Iran said they agreed to end the war and reopen Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude fell close to 5%, AP and Reuters reported. Investors pointed to strong AI spending as another reason for gains.
Nasdaq rises as AI names find support after market selloff
Nasdaq leads gains as chip stocks bounce; Dow flat U.S. equities ended in the green Monday after buyers returned to technology and chip stocks. Nasdaq Composite led with a 1.27% gain, closing up 329.47 points at 26,036.94. The S&P 500 rose 47.67 points, or 0.63%, to 7,430.49. The Dow posted a small advance, up just 6.62 points, or 0.01%, to 50,871.37. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index added 6.2%. “A little bit of bargain hunting,” said Rick Meckler, partner at Cherry Lane Investments.
Wall Street’s Chip Rebound Lifts Nasdaq — Inflation Test Comes Next
Wall Street advanced in Monday morning trading, led by a rebound in chip and other technology shares, as investors moved back into the artificial intelligence trade after Friday’s sharp break in momentum. The Nasdaq Composite was up 1.43%, the S&P 500 rose 0.87% to 7,448.31 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.22%, Reuters market data from LSEG showed.
Goldman Sachs Jumps as Dow Sets New High
Goldman Sachs traded up nearly 4.6% Thursday afternoon, hitting $1,095.89 before pulling back to $1,088.63, up $47.61 from Wednesday’s finish. That move was enough to give the Dow Jones Industrial Average a boost as buyers came back to financial stocks.
Oil Price Forecast This Week: Brent’s 6% Slide Leaves Traders Staring at $120 Risk
Oil prices managed a bounce on Friday but still wrapped up the week in the red, with traders eyeing U.S.-Iran diplomacy more than the usual supply reports as violence flares near the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude, the international standard, settled at $101.29 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate closed at $95.42. Both benchmarks slid over 6% for the week. “The market is hung between a breakthrough in negotiations and a renewal of the fighting,” said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital.