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Stock Market News 4 January 2026

Palo Alto Networks stock set for Monday spotlight after Guggenheim upgrade, insider sale plan

Palo Alto Networks stock set for Monday spotlight after Guggenheim upgrade, insider sale plan

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 3:27 PM ET — Market closed Palo Alto Networks shares will be in focus when U.S. markets reopen on Monday after Guggenheim upgraded the cybersecurity firm to Neutral from Sell. The stock closed down 2.6% on Friday at $179.37. The shift matters going into the first full week of 2026, when investors typically rebalance portfolios and reassess crowded trades. Palo Alto’s valuation and growth profile keep it sensitive to any change in sentiment around large-cap software. Traders also have a near-term macro test on Friday, when the U.S. releases its December employment report, a key
Workday stock slips to new 52-week low as investors brace for jobs data and Feb earnings

Workday stock slips to new 52-week low as investors brace for jobs data and Feb earnings

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 15:21 ET — Market closed Workday (WDAY.O) shares slid 4.2% on Friday to close at $205.79 after touching a fresh 52-week low of $202.22, trading data showed. Volume ran at roughly 6 million shares, more than double the stock’s average. SoFi The drop leaves the enterprise-software maker pinned near a round-number level investors often watch for support around $200. It also puts Workday back in the crosshairs of the rates trade that has periodically punished pricier software names. That matters now because markets are heading into a data-heavy week after a period of disrupted releases
Accenture stock drops 3% to start 2026 — here’s what could move ACN next

Accenture stock drops 3% to start 2026 — here’s what could move ACN next

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 14:58 ET — Market closed Accenture plc (ACN) shares ended Friday down 3.1% at $259.95, their third straight session of losses. Marketwatch The decline left the IT consulting firm lagging a broader market that finished higher on the first trading day of 2026, helped by gains in chipmakers. Reuters Why it matters now: Accenture heads into the first full week of the year with its stock about 35% below its 52-week high of $398.35, leaving the shares more sensitive to shifts in risk appetite. Marketwatch Macro catalysts arrive before company ones. The U.S. government is
4 January 2026
Verizon stock dips into 2026 as yields rise — what investors watch before VZ earnings

Verizon stock dips into 2026 as yields rise — what investors watch before VZ earnings

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 15:17 ET — Market closed Verizon Communications Inc. shares ended the first trading session of 2026 lower, closing down 0.6% on Friday at $40.52. The broader market finished higher, while Treasury yields climbed, keeping pressure on rate-sensitive dividend stocks. Reuters That matters now because Verizon is widely treated as a “bond proxy” — a high-dividend stock that can trade like a bond when interest-rate expectations shift. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Anna Paulson said on Saturday that additional rate cuts could take a while as policymakers assess the economy, according to a Reuters report.
P&G stock slips to start 2026: what to watch before Procter & Gamble’s Jan. 22 earnings

P&G stock slips to start 2026: what to watch before Procter & Gamble’s Jan. 22 earnings

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 15:17 ET — Market closed Procter & Gamble (PG) shares fell 1.06% to close at $141.79 on Friday, extending a four-session losing streak in the first trading session of 2026. The consumer products maker lagged a higher S&P 500 and Dow, and ended the day about 21% below its 52-week high. MarketWatch The underperformance matters because P&G is a heavyweight “defensive” stock — a steady, cash-generating name investors often lean on when growth looks shaky. When Treasury yields rise, those shares can lose some of their appeal as bond returns look more competitive. Reuters Focus
Why IREN stock jumped 13% to start 2026 — and what investors watch next

Why IREN stock jumped 13% to start 2026 — and what investors watch next

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 14:46 ET — Market closed IREN Limited shares surged about 13% on Friday, closing at $42.70 in the first trading session of 2026, as bitcoin recovered above the $90,000 mark and crypto-linked stocks bounced. Yahoo Finance The move matters because IREN trades as a high-beta proxy for two volatile themes: bitcoin mining and the push by some miners into AI-focused data centers. When bitcoin stabilizes and risk appetite improves, the group tends to move sharply. CoinDesk “The market is seeing a ‘buy the dip, sell the rip,’ trading mentality,” Joe Mazzola, head of trading &
Western Digital stock jumps 9% to start 2026 — what WDC investors watch before Monday’s open

Western Digital stock jumps 9% to start 2026 — what WDC investors watch before Monday’s open

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 15:00 ET — Market closed Western Digital Corp (WDC) shares jumped 9% on Friday, the first trading day of 2026, closing at $187.70. The stock added about 0.7% after hours to $188.98. Wall Street Journal The surge keeps attention on data-storage hardware as investors look for “picks-and-shovels” exposure to the AI buildout in data centers. Zacks Equity Research flagged Western Digital as one of 2025’s top performers, citing upward revisions to earnings expectations tied to cloud demand. Nasdaq The timing matters because January brings a busy macro and earnings runway that can reset rate expectations
4 January 2026
Vertiv (VRT) stock jumps on Barclays upgrade to $200 target — what investors watch next

Vertiv (VRT) stock jumps on Barclays upgrade to $200 target — what investors watch next

New York, Jan 4, 2026, 14:57 ET — Market closed Vertiv Holdings Co shares ended Friday up 8.4% at $175.61 after Barclays upgraded the data-center power and cooling supplier to Overweight and lifted its price target to $200. Barclays analyst Julian Mitchell said the bank sees “substantial upside potential” to consensus earnings estimates in 2026 and 2027. TipRanks The call matters now because investor positioning in data-center infrastructure has been swinging sharply with every new read on AI-related spending. With U.S. markets reopening on Monday, traders will test whether Friday’s analyst-driven pop pulls in fresh buyers or fades once the
4 January 2026
Home Depot stock heads into Monday: jobs report, rate bets and key levels in focus

Home Depot stock heads into Monday: jobs report, rate bets and key levels in focus

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 14:51 ET — Market closed Home Depot (HD.N) shares ended Friday up 0.5% at $345.82, leaving the home-improvement retailer in focus heading into Monday’s open as investors line up for a busy week of U.S. economic data. (Yahoo Finance) Why it matters now is simple: Home Depot’s demand is closely tied to housing activity and consumer appetite for big-ticket projects, both of which can swing with borrowing costs. Fresh jobs and inflation readings can reshape expectations for interest rates — and that often feeds directly into mortgage rates. The stock also enters the week in
4 January 2026
Virgin Galactic stock: Debt overhaul and dilution fears cloud 2026 profit hopes

Virgin Galactic stock: Debt overhaul and dilution fears cloud 2026 profit hopes

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 14:50 ET Virgin Galactic’s bid to refinance debt and raise fresh capital is sharpening investor doubts about whether the company can post its first annual profit in 2026, as it remains grounded and burning cash. Analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence expect Virgin Galactic to lose nearly $240 million in 2026, according to a Nasdaq-published column. Nasdaq Why it matters now: Virgin is funding development of its next-generation “Delta-class” spaceplanes and a new carrier aircraft while it has little revenue coming in. That leaves the company reliant on the capital markets to bridge the
India stock market open Jan 5: Oil shock risk meets Nifty record high — what to watch on Dalal Street

India stock market open Jan 5: Oil shock risk meets Nifty record high — what to watch on Dalal Street

MUMBAI, Jan 4, 2026, 14:40 ET — Market closed Oil is back in focus for Indian markets ahead of Monday’s open after Washington’s weekend moves in Venezuela revived supply worries and set the stage for a jump in crude when trading resumes.  Reuters That matters now because India imports most of its crude, and higher oil typically feeds into inflation expectations and weighs on the rupee, tightening conditions for equities. With benchmarks already at all-time highs, traders are likely to treat any oil-led risk-off swing as a direct test of this rally’s staying power. India’s Nifty 50 ended Friday up
4 January 2026
Oil turmoil meets a FTSE 100 near 10,000: what to watch before UK stocks open Monday

Oil turmoil meets a FTSE 100 near 10,000: what to watch before UK stocks open Monday

LONDON, January 4, 2026, 14:39 ET — Market closed Oil is the first read for London equities at Monday’s Jan. 5 open after the United States seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and President Donald Trump said Washington would take control of the oil-producing nation. OPEC+ — the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia — said it would keep first-quarter output steady. “The political transition in Venezuela adds another major layer of uncertainty,” said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy.  Reuters That matters because the FTSE 100 is dominated by multinationals — including oil
Venezuela, Fed bets and jobs data loom: What to know before U.S. stocks open Monday

Venezuela, Fed bets and jobs data loom: What to know before U.S. stocks open Monday

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 14:38 ET — Market closed Wall Street heads into Monday’s open after President Donald Trump said the United States had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and would put the oil-producing nation under temporary American control. Investors said the intervention could trigger a flight to safer assets when trading resumes.  Reuters The timing matters. The market is coming out of holiday-thinned trading into the first full week of the year, when volumes typically pick up and price moves can get sharper. The U.S. jobs report on Jan. 9 is the first big macro test of 2026,
SaskPower warns of Sunday shutdown after widespread outages hit southwest Saskatchewan

SaskPower warns of Sunday shutdown after widespread outages hit southwest Saskatchewan

REGINA, Saskatchewan, Jan 4, 2026, 14:33 ET SaskPower will carry out a planned power outage from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday in parts of southwest Saskatchewan to complete emergency repairs to damaged poles, SwiftCurrentOnline reported. The utility said customers west of Highway 37 would be affected. SwiftCurrentOnline The planned shutdown follows multiple unplanned outages across the region on Saturday, when SaskPower said crews were investigating and did not initially provide estimated restoration times. The back-to-back interruptions matter for rural communities where outages can cascade as crews diagnose faults and then take lines offline to make repairs. SwiftCurrentOnline SaskPower says
4 January 2026
Before ASX opens Jan 5, 2026: SPI futures steady, big banks bid, Northern Star and inflation data in focus

Before ASX opens Jan 5, 2026: SPI futures steady, big banks bid, Northern Star and inflation data in focus

SYDNEY, Jan 4, 2026, 14:39 ET — Market closed Australian shares head into Monday’s open with futures little changed and investors still trading thin holiday liquidity into the first full week of 2026. SPI 200 futures — derivatives that track the benchmark share index — were last at 8,726. The near-term test is whether risk appetite holds as markets pivot from year-end positioning to hard data. Australia’s monthly CPI indicator is due on Wednesday, Jan. 7, and traders globally also face a U.S. jobs report on Friday, Jan. 9 — both key inputs for interest-rate expectations. That matters for the
4 January 2026
IBM stock slides into 2026 — filings and Jan. 28 earnings set the next test

IBM stock slides into 2026 — filings and Jan. 28 earnings set the next test

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 14:40 ET — Market closed International Business Machines (IBM.N) shares fell 1.6% to $291.50 on Friday, even as the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended higher. The stock traded between $289.00 and $297.57 and remains below its 52-week high of $324.90, according to market data. Investing The early-year stumble matters because IBM sits at the intersection of enterprise software, infrastructure and consulting, where sentiment can turn quickly when budgets tighten. With U.S. markets closed for the weekend, investors are mapping out the next set of macro and company checkpoints that typically reset positioning. IBM’s investor calendar
Marvell stock jumps 5% as CES 2026 CEO chat nears — what MRVL investors watch next

Marvell stock jumps 5% as CES 2026 CEO chat nears — what MRVL investors watch next

NEW YORK, January 4, 2026, 14:31 ET — Market closed Marvell Technology, Inc. shares rose 5.2% on Friday, closing at $89.39. About 15.0 million shares changed hands, according to Yahoo Finance data. Yahoo Finance The move matters because Marvell sits in the middle of the AI data-center buildout, selling chips that connect servers and move data across networks. Investors are looking for early-year signals on whether cloud spending is holding up after a volatile end to 2025. CES week often serves as the first public checkpoint for semiconductor demand in the new year. For Marvell, even small shifts in tone
Singapore stock market: GDP surprise, UOB buyback and global rates to watch before Jan 5 open

Singapore stock market: GDP surprise, UOB buyback and global rates to watch before Jan 5 open

SINGAPORE, Jan 4, 2026, 14:40 ET — Market closed Singapore shares head into Monday’s open with a stronger domestic growth backdrop after official data showed the economy expanded 4.8% in 2025, lifted by a 5.7% rise in fourth-quarter GDP.  Ministry of Trade and Industry That matters now because the advance estimates set expectations for early-2026 policy and profit outlooks, with investors also watching whether export-driven sectors can extend momentum as global rates stay sticky.  Reuters The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) ended Friday’s session up 0.2% at 4,656.12, with traders likely to treat the 4,650 area as a near-term line
4 January 2026
Whitestone REIT stock faces activist board challenge as WSR heads into Monday’s session

Whitestone REIT stock faces activist board challenge as WSR heads into Monday’s session

NEW YORK, January 4, 2026, 13:56 ET — Market closed Whitestone REIT shares ended Friday slightly lower after longtime shareholder James C. Mastandrea said he plans to run a competing slate for the board, setting up another activist push at the shopping-center landlord. SEC The timing matters for real estate stocks because REITs — real estate investment trusts that own income-producing property — tend to trade with interest-rate expectations. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Anna Paulson said on Saturday that further U.S. rate cuts may not come soon, in comments that underscored the “higher for longer” debate. Reuters For
4 January 2026
Trump Media stock: Short sellers pile in after TAE fusion-deal rally — what to watch next

Trump Media stock: Short sellers pile in after TAE fusion-deal rally — what to watch next

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 13:53 ET — Market closed Short sellers have increased bets against Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT.O) after the company’s surprise merger plan with fusion-energy firm TAE Technologies ignited a sharp rally late last month. Short interest has climbed 31% since the announcement, even as the communication services stock ended Friday, Jan. 2 up 4% at $13.77, S3 Partners said. Reuters That matters because short interest — shares borrowed and sold in a bet the price will fall — can amplify moves in a stock already prone to sharp swings. A rising short count can
4 January 2026

Stock Market Today

Walmart stock jumps 3% to $131 as Dow clears 50,000 — what to watch before Monday

Walmart stock jumps 3% to $131 as Dow clears 50,000 — what to watch before Monday

7 February 2026
Walmart shares climbed 3.34% to $131.18 Friday, pushing its market value to about $1.05 trillion as the Dow closed above 50,000 for the first time. Retail stocks mostly gained, with Target up 4.24% and Costco up 1.20%, while Amazon dropped 5.55%. Investors await Walmart’s fiscal Q4 results on Feb. 19 and key U.S. economic data next week.
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