International News - US natural gas futures prices saw a significant increase, with intraday gains reaching up to 30%, currently reported at $5.083 per million British thermal units, after previously recording increases of 29%, 28%, and 27% [1][7] - Precious metals market showed a downward trend, with spot gold prices dropping below $4820, $4810, $4800, and $4790 per ounce, with daily declines of 0.25%, 0.44%, 0.64%, and 0.86% respectively [1][7] - Spot silver also faced pressure, falling below $93, $92, and $91 per ounce, with daily declines of 1.68%, 2.93%, and 3.74% respectively [1][7] - US stock market performed strongly, with all three major indices closing up over 1%, the Dow Jones up 1.21%, Nasdaq up 1.18%, and S&P 500 up 1.16% [1][7] Individual Stocks - Intel shares rose over 11%, reaching a four-year high; AMD increased by 8.3%, SanDisk by over 10%, Western Digital by over 8%, and Micron Technology by over 6% [2][8] - The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rose by 2.22%, with notable gains from individual stocks such as New Oxygen up 14.93%, Baidu up 8.20%, and Century Internet up 7.17% [2][8] - OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman is meeting with top investors in the Middle East to pursue a new round of financing of at least $50 billion, with a post-funding valuation expected between $750 billion and $830 billion [2][8] - Apple plans a major overhaul of Siri, transforming it into a built-in chatbot with new features expected to launch later this year [2][8] Company Dynamics - French dairy company Lactalis announced a recall of multiple batches of infant formula in 18 countries, including China, due to potential contamination with Bacillus cereus toxin [3][9] - Ubisoft canceled the development of six games, including the remake of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" and four unannounced titles [3][10] - The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported an increase of 3 million barrels in US API crude oil inventories last week, compared to a previous increase of 5.278 million barrels [3][10] - President Trump expressed hope for the retention of Kevin Hassett in his current position, with the shortlist for the Federal Reserve chair narrowing to two or three candidates [3][10]

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. stock market experienced a significant rebound following President Trump's cancellation of new tariffs on European countries and his announcement of a "framework agreement" regarding Greenland [1][3]. Market Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 1.21%, closing at 49,077.23 points; the S&P 500 increased by 1.16%, ending at 6,875.62 points; and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.18%, finishing at 23,224.82 points [2]. Political Developments - Trump stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he would not use military force to acquire Greenland, which positively influenced the stock market. He mentioned a productive discussion with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, leading to a future agreement framework concerning Greenland and the Arctic region [3]. - Trump had previously announced a 10% tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland, set to take effect on February 1, with a potential increase to 25% by June 1 if an agreement on Greenland was not reached [4]. Market Reactions - The stock market had previously declined sharply due to Trump's escalation of tariff threats and the possibility of military action regarding Greenland, marking the worst single-day performance since October 10 [6]. - The market's reaction to Trump's tariff cancellation reflects a trend where investors no longer assume his statements will be executed, indicating a level of unpredictability in his administration's policies [7]. Stock Performance - Major technology stocks mostly rose, with Nvidia up 2.95%, Apple up 0.39%, Microsoft down 2.29%, Google up 1.98%, Amazon up 0.13%, Meta up 1.46%, Tesla up 2.91%, Broadcom down 1.14%, Oracle down 3.36%, Netflix down 2.18%, Micron Technology up 6.61%, AMD up 7.11%, and Intel up 11.72% [7]. - Chinese concept stocks also saw gains, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rising 2.21%, Alibaba up 3.87%, JD.com up 2.43%, Pinduoduo up 1.40%, NIO up 2.41%, Xpeng up 1.70%, Li Auto up 2.48%, Bilibili up 5.65%, Baidu up 8.17%, while NetEase fell 4.07%, Tencent Music down 0.80%, and Pony.ai up 2.55% [7].

Core Viewpoint - Micron Technology, Inc. is positioned as a significant player in the AI market, with Stifel raising its price target to $360.00 from $300.00, maintaining a "Buy" rating due to AI cloud demand and strategic acquisitions being key drivers for margins and supply [1] Group 1: Supply and Demand Dynamics - Micron has gained flexibility in its supply roadmap, alleviating near-term pressures, as the rapid growth in AI cloud infrastructure is absorbing global DRAM output, resulting in a supply shortage [2] - The company has strategically reduced bit shipments to China and retail consumer segments through its Crucial brand to redirect more supply towards cloud and enterprise customers [2] Group 2: Revenue and Margin Expansion - The company's revenue and margin expansion in the near term depend on successful node transitions, including the 1-gamma, and the optimization of its bit supply [3] - The acquisition of PSMC fab and site in Taiwan is expected to provide a structural outlet for sustained supply growth starting from approximately 18 months onward [3] Group 3: Product Offerings - Micron Technology develops and sells memory and storage products for data centers, mobile devices, and various industries globally [4]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights a significant surge in semiconductor exports from South Korea, indicating strong global demand driven by the AI wave, which has positively impacted major semiconductor companies' stock prices [1][2]. Group 1: Semiconductor Export Data - In the first 20 days of January 2026, South Korea's semiconductor exports reached $10.73 billion, a year-on-year increase of 70.2%, accounting for 29.5% of total exports, up 9.6 percentage points from the previous year [2]. - For the entire year of 2025, South Korea's semiconductor exports amounted to $173.48 billion, marking a 22.1% year-on-year growth and achieving a historical high [4]. Group 2: Market Reactions and Stock Performance - Following the positive export data, semiconductor stocks surged, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rising by 3.18%, reaching a historical high, and individual stocks like Intel and Micron Technology seeing significant gains [1]. - Citigroup raised the target price for SanDisk from $280 to $490 per share, a 75% increase, citing strong demand for data center memory and favorable supply conditions [5]. Group 3: Future Demand and Supply Dynamics - The demand for storage chips is expected to remain robust due to the increasing need for AI infrastructure, with major companies like SK Hynix reporting that their chip production capacity for 2026 is already sold out [6]. - Global capital expenditures from the top eight cloud providers are projected to increase by approximately 65% year-on-year, with AI servers becoming the fastest-growing segment in data center IT investments [7].

Natural Gas Industry - Natural gas prices surged over +24% to a 6-week high, following a +26% increase the previous day, driven by an Arctic cold front expected to raise heating demand and disrupt US production [1][17] Gold Market - Gold prices increased by another 1%, reaching a new record high amid the Greenland crisis and concerns over Japan's fiscal policies leading to higher deficits, which are driving demand for gold as a safe-haven asset [2] Stock Market Performance - Stock indexes rebounded sharply, recovering over half of the previous day's losses after President Trump announced a framework for a deal regarding Greenland and refrained from imposing tariffs on European nations [4][5] - The S&P 500 Index closed up +1.16%, the Dow Jones up +1.21%, and the Nasdaq 100 up +1.36% [5] Mortgage Applications and Housing Market - US MBA mortgage applications rose by +14.1%, with the purchase mortgage sub-index up +5.1% and refinancing up +20.4% [6] - Pending home sales in December fell by -9.3% month-over-month, marking the largest decline in 5.5 years, while construction spending in October rose by +0.5% month-over-month [6] Earnings Season - The Q4 earnings season has been positive, with 81% of the 38 S&P 500 companies that reported beating expectations, and S&P earnings growth is projected to increase by +8.4% in Q4 [8] Interest Rates and Treasury Notes - The 10-year T-note yield fell by -4 bp to 4.25%, supported by lower bond yields and strong demand for a $13 billion auction of 20-year T-bonds [11] - Rising inflation expectations limited gains in T-notes, with the 10-year breakeven inflation rate reaching a 3.25-month high of 2.358% [12] Company-Specific Movements - Chip makers saw significant gains, with Intel closing up more than +11% and AMD up more than +7%, contributing to the overall market rally [16] - Progressive Software's stock rose over +10% after forecasting stronger-than-expected full-year adjusted EPS [18] - Citizens Financial Group's stock increased by more than +6% after reporting total deposits above consensus expectations [19]

I wanted to take a look at Micron Technology, Inc. ( MU ), which has performed tremendously since my last article back in September, returning over 130%, and even better since my article inMSc in Finance. Long-term horizon investor mostly with 5-10 year horizon. I like to keep investing simple. I believe a portfolio should consist of a mix of growth, value, and dividend-paying stocks but usually end up looking for value more than anything. I also sell options from time to time.Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we hav ...

Core Viewpoint - Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) has shown significant performance improvement, returning over 130% since the last analysis in September, indicating strong growth potential for long-term investors [1]. Company Performance - The stock has performed exceptionally well, with a return exceeding 130% since the last article and even better performance noted since the previous analysis in the MSc in Finance [1]. Investment Strategy - The investment approach focuses on a diversified portfolio that includes growth, value, and dividend-paying stocks, with a particular emphasis on value stocks [1]. - The company also engages in options trading occasionally, suggesting a strategy that incorporates both stock ownership and derivatives [1].

Micron stock (NASDAQ: MU) jumped roughly 7% on Wednesday, driven by major Wall Street price-target hikes and a strategic $1.8 billion acquisition of a chip fabrication facility in Taiwan. The combinat... ...

Semiconductor powerhouse Micron Technology (MU) has turned memory into momentum. Shares of the artificial intelligence (AI)-focused memory and storage maker have surged by three digits over the past year as a global shortage is colliding with explosive demand. AI systems rely on memory to keep vast datasets close to GPUs, enabling large models to run faster without costly slowdowns. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra stated that AI-driven demand is accelerating and irreversible, forcing the industry to scale rap ...

Natural Gas Industry - Natural gas prices have surged over +21% today, reaching a 6-week high, following a +26% increase on Tuesday, which is benefiting natural gas producers [1][17] - An Arctic cold front is expected to increase heating demand in the eastern US, potentially causing freeze-offs in wells and disrupting natural gas production [1] Gold and Precious Metals - Gold prices have increased by another 1% today, reaching a new record high, driven by safe-haven buying amid the Greenland crisis and concerns over Japan's fiscal policies leading to higher deficits [2] Stock Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index is up +1.06%, the Dow Jones is up +0.97%, and the Nasdaq 100 is up +1.33%, indicating a recovery after a sharp sell-off on Tuesday [5] - Stocks are rebounding following President Trump's announcement of seeking negotiations to acquire Greenland, which has alleviated some market fears [4] Economic Indicators - US MBA mortgage applications rose by +14.1% in the week ended January 16, with the refinancing mortgage sub-index up +20.4% [6] - US pending home sales fell by -9.3% month-over-month in December, marking the largest decline in 5.5 years, while construction spending rose by +0.5% month-over-month in October [6] Earnings Reports - The Q4 earnings season has begun positively, with 88% of the 33 S&P 500 companies that reported beating expectations, and S&P earnings growth is projected to increase by +8.4% in Q4 [8] - Progressive Software's stock rose over +18% after forecasting full-year adjusted EPS of $5.82 to $5.96, exceeding consensus expectations [18]