Major Stock Indexes Close Mixed; Dow Advances; Data-Storage Shares Drag Nasdaq

How Upcoming Scotus Tariff Ruling Could Affect Markets

57 minutes ago

The Supreme Court may soon rule on President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, which could shake up markets and individual stocks—but while experts have ideas about what assets might be move, the menu of possible outcomes remains complex.

Put another way, we might get some long-awaited news. But trading might not be as simple as the adage “buy the rumor, sell the news.”

The court could as soon as Friday decide on Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs. It could back the “Liberation Day” levies announced in April or go as far as to deem them illegal and roll them back. A ruling could bring clarity to trade policy that has been muddled for nearly a year—and which, when first announced, shocked markets that have since recovered.

Experts think a decision on trade policy could enliven markets even further. “Expect volatility if it’s determined to be illegal, a rally if it comes in as allowed,” Navellier & Associates CIO Louis Navellier said Thursday.

If the tariffs are struck down, analysts say, publicly traded companies most affected by the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to establish tariffs stand to meaningfully benefit; importers might even see rebates on tariffs paid, which some companies have argued for. The range of possible outcomes, however, complicates the picture.

Read the full article here.

–Crystal Kim

What Drove the Sharp Drop in the U.S. Trade Deficit? Gold

3 hr 12 min ago

The U.S. trade deficit dropped sharply in October, but the narrowing appears to be tied to a large spike in the export of gold and silver.

The trade deficit came in at $29.4 billion, a near 40% drop from the prior month’s levels. That’s the lowest reading since 2009, when the U.S. was still embroiled in the financial crisis. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires expected an increase in the trade deficit.

Instead, imports in October dropped by more than 3%, while exports surged by 2.6%. But that activity was concentrated in certain sectors. 

Exports of non-monetary gold and other precious metals surged by more than $10 billion in October, offsetting declines elsewhere and accounting for more than the total $7.1 billion rise in exports that month. The spike came as gold hit a then-record high on Oct. 20, part of a recent trend of investors piling into the safe-haven asset. 

Read the full article here.

–Terry Lane

Apple’s Credit Card Is Switching Banks. Here’s What That Means for Your Money

3 hr 19 min ago

If you have an Apple Card—or the Apple Savings account tied to it—your account will be moving to a new bank. Here’s what you need to know.

Apple (AAPL) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) on Wednesday announced a deal that will make Chase the issuer of the Apple Card, replacing Goldman Sachs. The transition is expected to happen in about two years, the companies said.

Consumers’ Apple credit-card and savings balances, payment history, credit limit, and Daily Cash balance—cash back that can be redeemed after a transaction posts to the account—will carry over with the transition, the companies said.

A notable change: Current and new Apple Card customers both have the option to open an Apple Savings account. After the transition, current Apple Savings account customers will get a choice of two accounts, according to The Wall Street Journal: a new account from JPMorgan or their existing Apple Savings account with Goldman Sachs, citing people familiar with the matter.

Read the full article here.

–Sara Clarke

This Consumer-Products Giant’s Stock Is a Wall Street Top Pick for 2026

3 hr 43 min ago

Morgan Stanley analysts named a consumer products giant known for its toothpaste one of their top picks for the year.

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) is now the analysts’ top pick in the Household & Personal Care sector, as they expect the company’s sales growth to recover in 2026 after a “below-plan 2025.” The analysts maintained their “overweight” rating and $87 price target for Colgate-Palmolive stock, putting them roughly in line with Visible Alpha’s Wall Street average and suggesting a 13% premium to yesterday’s close.

The company behind a range of personal care and cleaning products, among dozens of other brands, saw the larger consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector go through “category weakness” in 2025, the analysts said. A strong 2024 also made for difficult comparisons and slower market share gains in its key categories, Morgan Stanley said.

After organic sales growth reached what the analysts think is the low point in the company’s last quarterly results in October, at 0.4%, they now see Colgate-Palmolive as poised to grow organic sales at a faster rate than its competitors in the coming quarters.

The analysts said they see projections of 3% organic sales growth and 6% earnings per share growth for 2026 as “reasonable,” but expect the company to be conservative in its outlook when it reports fourth-quarter results.

Entering 2026, the analysts said Colgate-Palmolive is poised to post increasingly strong organic sales growth thanks to easy comparisons in 2025, growth in its developing markets, an expected recovery in market share in its key oral care segment, among other factors.

–Aaron McDade

Alphabet Nears $4 Trillion Market Value. Is There More Upside for the Stock?

4 hr 4 min ago

Google-parent Alphabet’s stock is showing no signs of slowing down after a strong finish to 2025.

Alphabet (GOOG)(GOOGL) stock was up about 1% in afternoon trading Thursday, bringing it within a hair of becoming just the fourth company to ever boast a $4 trillion market capitalization. Nvidia (NVDA), Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) are the only other companies to have ever passed that milestone, though the later two have fallen below that threshold.

Alphabet on Wednesday became America’s second most-valuable company when its market cap surpassed Apple’s for the first time since 2019.

Alphabet shares are off to a strong start to the new year after rising 65% in 2025, the best performance of any Magnificent Seven stock. Investors and tech executives were impressed by the company’s newest AI model, Gemini 3, when it launched in November. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said he was “never going back” to using ChatGPT, the chatbot that sparked the AI craze in late 2022. The buzz around Gemini 3 reportedly prompted OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed start-up behind ChatGPT, to declare a “code red” to improve ChatGPT. 

What investors liked as much, if not more, than the model’s performance: That is was trained on custom chips designed in-house. The warm reception of Gemini 3 has helped Alphabet pitch its custom tensor processing units, made in collaboration with Broadcom (AVGO), as an alternative to Nvidia’s graphics processing units, which dominate the AI chip market. 

Read the full story here.

–Colin Laidley

Economic Calendar: These Are the Government Data Reports We’re Still Waiting On After the Shutdown

4 hr 28 min ago

The government shutdown ended in November, but statistical agencies are working to catch up on economic releases they missed.

After being closed for 43 days, the federal bureaus that track inflation, employment, and economic growth are behind schedule on several reports, but they are beginning to catch up.

Here are some of the new release dates and schedule changes announced so far:

• Jan. 9: September, October housing starts (September report originally scheduled for Oct. 17 release)
• Jan. 13: New home sales (October, September) 2
• ( September report originally scheduled for Oct. 24 release)3
• Jan. 14: October business inventories (Originally scheduled for a December release)4
• Jan 14: November retail sales (Originally scheduled for December release)5
• Jan. 14: November Producer Price Index (PPI), with a subset of the October report6
•  (Originally scheduled for Dec. 11 release; a separate October report won’t be released)
• Jan. 15: November U.S. import and export price indexes, with a subset of the October report 7
• (Originally scheduled for Dec. 16 release; a separate October report won’t be released)
• Jan. 22: Q3 Gross Domestic Product, final update (Originally scheduled for Dec. 19 release) 8
• Jan. 26: November durable-goods orders (Originally scheduled for December release)2
• Jan. 30: December PPI (Originally scheduled for Jan. 14 release) 

Read the full story here.

–Terry Lane

Bloom Energy Stock Soars on $2.65B Order for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

5 hr 32 min ago

An order for solid oxide fuel cells is boosting shares of Bloom Energy (BE) on Thursday.

Shares of San Jose, Calif.-based Bloom Energy soared 14% in afternoon trading after an American Electric Power (AEP) subsidiary exercised an option for solid oxide fuel cells for roughly $2.65 billion.

AEP said they will be used “for the development and construction of a fuel cell generation facility.”

Bloom Energy shares are up some 400% over the past year.

Costco Still Has Plenty ‘Up Its Sleeve.’ Its Stock Is Rising After a Downbeat 2025

5 hr 49 min ago

Shares of Costco Wholesale have been getting cheaper for nearly a year, dropping from early 2025 highs. They got a little less cheap today.

The warehouse retailer’s shares were up some 5% Thursday afternoon to levels last seen in about a month. The driver: a measure of optimism about the direction of Costco’s (COST) business following the company’s announcement of December sales that rose 8.5% year-over year and same-store sales that were 7% higher.

Bakery, meat and candy sales powered the food category last month, the company said on a conference call, a transcript of which was made available by AlphaSense, while jewelry, tires and small appliances also performed well.

“We believe this could provide the stock with a much-needed boost after dropping some 10% over the past six months or so on concerns around its elevated valuation and a rotational shift out of the sector,” William Blair’s bullish analysts wrote late Wednesday after the numbers were announced.

Read the full article here.

–David Marino-Nachison

Don’t Forget to Take the ‘Senior Deduction’ On Your Taxes This Year

6 hr 25 min ago

A new tax deduction could lower your tax bill this year. Here’s what you need to know about it.

The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ passed in July 2025, created a new deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older. This new senior deduction, which has also been called a Social Security tax break by the Trump administration, retroactively applies to the entire 2025 tax year, meaning you can claim the deduction when you file your taxes in the next few months.

Individual taxpayers will be able to deduct $6,000 from their 2025 taxable income, or $12,000 for a married couple who both qualify. This is in addition to the standard deduction that all non-itemizing taxpayers can take, and the pre-existing additional standard deduction amount for older taxpayers, which allows single taxpayers to deduct $2,000 and married couples to take $1,600.

Read the full article here.

–Elizabeth Guevara

The Economy Is Going Fine—Except for People Who Make Stuff

7 hr 51 min ago

It’s tough out there for anyone in the business of making things, but the rest of the economy is hanging in there

The services sector of the economy expanded at its fastest pace all year in December, while manufacturing continued to struggle, according to a pair of reports this week from the Institute for Supply Management. The service sector logged its 10th month of growth over the last 12 months, the ISM said Wednesday. The manufacturing sector on the other hand slowed down for a 10th straight month, according to a Monday report.

The pair of releases, based on surveys of supply managers, highlighted how much manufacturers have struggled this year compared to other parts of the economy under the regime of tariffs that were actually meant to help them. President Donald Trump imposed far-reaching import taxes last year in an effort to shield U.S. manufacturing from competition and introduce a “golden age” for industry.

Instead, manufacturers have grappled with increased costs, reduced demand, and uncertainty about rapidly changing trade policy.

“It has not been a great year,” one manager in the chemical business told ISM. “We have had some success holding the line on costs; however, real consumer spending is down and tariffs are ultimately to blame. I hope for some return to free trade, which is what consumers have ‘voted for’ with their spending.”

Read the full article here.

–Diccon Hyatt

Lockheed Martin Leads Defense Stock Rally as Trump Calls For Military Spending Surge

8 hr 25 min ago

Shares of several defense contractors took flight on Thursday after President Donald Trump said that the federal budget for the military should increase significantly.

“For the Good of our Country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our Military Budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 Trillion Dollars, but rather $1.5 Trillion Dollars,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Shares of Lockheed Martin (LMT), Huntington Ingalls (HII) and L3 Harris (LHX) were each up more than 7% recently, pacing gainers in the S&P 500 index. Shares of General Dynamics (GD) and Northrop Grumman (NOC) added more than 4%, while RTX Corp. (RTX), parent company of defense contractor Raytheon, tacked on 2%.

The Department of Defense had a budget of $850 billion in fiscal 2025, an increase of $34 billion from the prior year. In its budget proposal to Congress last year, the White House said the Defense budget should be increased by more than $113 billion in fiscal 2026, which runs through September. Trump’s $1.5 trillion proposed budget would be a roughly 50% increase.

–Aaron McDade

Frontier Group Holdings Raises Q4 Profit Forecast, Removes Interim Tag for Leader

9 hr 13 min ago

Shares of Frontier Group Holdings (ULCC) surged 4% soon after markets opened Thursday after the parent of ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines lifted its fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter profit forecast.

Frontier now expects adjusted earnings per share “at the higher end of the previously provided guidance range of between $0.04 and $0.20 per share.” The carrier added that “this reflects strong revenue performance as the quarter progressed, overcoming the impact of the government shutdown.”

In addition, Frontier named interim chief executive James Dempsey its President and CEO, and a member of its board, effective yesterday. Dempsey had been named interim CEO on Dec. 15, replacing Barry Biffle, who had served as the airline’s CEO for 11 years.

Even with today’s rise, Frontier shares have lost more than 37% of their value over the past year.

More Americans Are Working Multiple Jobs Than at Any Time Since 1999

9 hr 44 min ago

Here’s the irony of today’s job market: Hiring is slowing down, but people who are employed are more likely to be working multiple jobs than at any time since 1999.

That’s according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which found that in November, 5.8% of working individuals had more than one job. That’s the highest percentage of moonlighters since December, 1999, when 6% of workers held multiple jobs. November 2025 was up from 5.4% in the prior 12 month period.

Some forecasters expect that 5.8% figure to hold steady or increase Friday when December jobs data is released.

Read the full article here.

–Diccon Hyatt

Applied Digital Shares Jump as Revenue Blows Pasts Expectations

10 hr 39 min ago

Shares of Applied Digital (APLD) are surging after the data center provider topped estimates in its latest quarterly results.

In the fiscal second quarter, Applied Digital’s revenue soared 250% to $126.6 million, while the company roughly broke even with an adjusted profit of $0.1 million. Analysts had expected about $110.3 million in revenue, and an adjusted loss of $13.3 million, according to Visible Alpha.

The company said it has now signed two data center leases with AI hyperscalers to lease facilities in North Dakota, and that they are in talks with a third.

Shares were up more than 6% in premarket trading, and have more than tripled in value in the last 12 months.

–Aaron McDade

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Stock Sinks After FDA Does Not Approve Treatment for Jet Lag

11 hr 8 min ago

Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA) stock sank in premarket trading Thursday after the company announced that the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for its treatment of jet lag disorder.

Shares of the biopharmaceutical firm, which entered the day with a market capitalization of just over $500 million, dropped more than 12% about 75 minutes before the bell.

Vanda wrote that the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) concluded that the sNDA for HETLIOZ, or tasimelteon, “cannot be approved in its current form.” 

“The FDA acknowledged positive efficacy from Vanda’s controlled clinical trials,” Vanda wrote in its press release. “However, the FDA concluded that these data do not provide substantial evidence of effectiveness for jet lag disorder, primarily on the grounds that controlled phase advance protocols (5-hour and 8-hour bedtime shifts) are not sufficiently analogous to actual jet travel, which according to the FDA involves additional factors such as reduced oxygen pressure, physical constraints, noise, and lighting changes.”

Vanda said it “respectfully disagrees with this interpretation,” and that it “remains committed to working constructively with the FDA while pursuing all appropriate avenues to advance approval of HETLIOZ® for jet lag disorder and make this important therapy available to travelers.”

Shares of Vanda have risen more than 80% over the past year entering Thursday’s session.

These Stocks Could Gain From Venezuela’s Upheaval

11 hr 39 min ago

The U.S. is planning big changes for Venezuela’s oil industry after ousting the country’s president. Shares of a handful of U.S. companies stand to benefit from the upheaval.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday said that the U.S. will control Venezuelan oil sales “indefinitely,” funneling proceeds to American banks and rolling back sanctions that have choked the country’s crude exports for years. Refiners Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) and Phillips 66 (PSX) rose on the news.

Chevron (CVX) is the only U.S. oil major still operating in Venezuela. That head start could be worth billions if the Trump administration follows through on its promise to rebuild the country’s energy sector.

Venezuela has more proven reserves than any other country, but years of economic turmoil, corruption and sanctions have dramatically curtailed its ability to produce and export oil.

So which stocks are positioned to gain from a revitalization of Venezuela’s oil industry?

Read the full article here.

–Peter Gratton

Is the Turnaround Gamble Finally Paying Off for Intel?

12 hr 13 min ago

Shares of Intel (INTC) have surged more than 15% in 2026 as investors grow more optimistic about the future of its chip manufacturing business.

Intel earlier this week unveiled its new “Panther Lake” AI PC chips, its first product made with its long-awaited 18A manufacturing process. The launch marked a milestone for the company that has for years been trying to prove it’s capable of developing and scaling cutting-edge chip manufacturing processes.

Intel’s foundry business entered 2025 in dire straits. The company’s CEO Pat Gelsinger had just been ousted after years of overseeing an expensive and largely fruitless effort to make Intel a viable competitor to chip manufacturing powerhouse Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM). Chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan was made CEO in March. He immediately began cutting costs and selling assets to stanch the bleeding, but shares remained under pressure amid uncertainty about the foundry’s future. 

Then, in August, a chummy meeting between Tan and President Trump changed everything. The Trump administration announced a nearly $10 billion investment in the company, making the U.S. government Intel’s largest shareholder. A month later, Nvidia (NVDA) came on board, agreeing to invest $5 billion and collaborate with its competitor. 

Shares are little changed in premarket trading Thursday.

Read the full article here.

–Colin Laidley

Trump’s Next Reform: Who Gets to Own America’s Homes

12 hr 26 min ago

President Donald Trump provided the first details of his plan for “aggressive” reforms to the housing market on Wednesday.

Trump wrote in a social media post that he is taking steps to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. He also said he is asking Congress to write it into law.

“People live in homes, not corporations,” he wrote.

This is likely the first of several housing industry reforms Trump promised during his Dec. 17 address to the nation. More details on the ban are expected during Trump’s upcoming speech at the annual World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, scheduled for Jan. 19-23.2

The housing market has sidelined many would-be buyers as affordability has declined: Mortgage rates remained well above 6% throughout 2025 and housing prices remained elevated.

Investor activity in the housing market can make it even more difficult for ordinary homebuyers to compete for homes. 

Read the full article here.

–Terry Lane

Are You Spending Too Much on Housing? Mortgage Trends by Age

12 hr 44 min ago

A bigger yard. A real asset. A blank slate to make a place your own. Whatever your reason, buying a home is a big step—and it’s crucial that it’s not more than your budget can handle.

There are a few ways to determine whether a home purchase is affordable for you, including the 28/36 rule. Another guideline suggests that your mortgage shouldn’t be more than twice or three times your annual gross income.

So how is the typical American faring these days? Is the typical (median) mortgage affordable? Let’s see how much people are really spending on their mortgages, in total and per month.

How do you know what you can afford? Using the 28/36 rule, you would first take your monthly gross income and multiply it by 28%. That’s your maximum monthly mortgage payment.

Then, take your monthly gross income and multiply it by 36%. That’s the most you should devote to your debts per month, including your mortgage and any other debts (auto loans, student loans, etc.).

Read the full article here.

–Jeanette Beebe

Stock Futures Slip After S&P 500, Dow Pull Back From Record Highs

13 hr 2 min ago

Futures contracts associated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average pointed 0.3% lower.

S&P 500 futures slipped 0.2%.

Nasdaq 100 futures were down 0.3%.