Today: 29 June 2026
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NYSE:VMC 1 January 2026 - 7 February 2026

Basic materials stocks jump to start 2026 — XLB rises as copper steadies and miners climb

Basic materials stocks jump to start 2026 — XLB rises as copper steadies and miners climb

U.S. basic materials stocks rose on the first trading day of 2026, with the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLB) up 1.7% to $46.12. Freeport-McMoRan gained 2.25%, Dow Inc climbed 3.81%, and copper futures settled 0.18% higher at $5.64 a pound. The S&P 500 added 0.19%. Investors are watching next week’s labor data and Fed rate cut signals.
Basic materials stocks today: XLB ends 2025 lower as silver slumps, China PMI surprise in focus

Basic materials stocks today: XLB ends 2025 lower as silver slumps, China PMI surprise in focus

Spot silver fell 7.1% and spot gold dropped 0.78% Wednesday as U.S. basic materials ETFs XLB and IYM lost 0.83% and 0.98%. Freeport-McMoRan slid 1.21%, Newmont 1.97%. China’s official PMI rose to 50.1 in December, signaling expansion for the first time in eight months. U.S. markets are closed Thursday for New Year’s Day.

Stock Market Today

  • Top 10 Most Shorted ASX Stocks and Weekly Market Movers
    June 28, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT. The latest Short Seller Series highlights the 10 most heavily shorted stocks on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). This report also tracks significant weekly shifts in short interest, indicating which stocks are attracting more or less bearish bets. Investors often study short interest as it reflects market sentiment, showing which shares traders expect to fall. This update provides insight into the biggest risers and fallers in short positions, helping investors gauge potential market moves and emerging risks.

Latest articles

Trump-era loan caps could open door for private lenders in grad school market

Trump-era loan caps could open door for private lenders in grad school market

29 June 2026
July 1 federal loan caps slash Grad PLUS access, forcing many graduate and professional students to seek private loans; Sallie Mae projects up to 70% origination growth over several years, while SoFi reports record student-loan volume—investors now face a real-time test of how much demand shifts to private lenders as federal limits hit.
IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) slides as Warriors badge faces AI revenue test

IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) slides as Warriors badge faces AI revenue test

29 June 2026
IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) plunged 21.3% to $47.21 over five straight down days despite announcing a record $50M+ annual Warriors jersey deal, as investors focused on the company’s not fully contracted $4.4B target ARR and high short interest at 19.74% of float, with Friday’s close near the lowest analyst target.
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