Group 1: Market Reaction - The prices of gold and silver experienced significant declines, with gold dropping over 12% to a low of $4682 per ounce, marking the largest single-day drop in 40 years, and closing down 9.25% at $4880 per ounce [2] - Silver saw an unprecedented drop of over 36%, reaching a low of $74.28 per ounce, and closing down 26.42% at $85.259 per ounce [2] - The U.S. stock market indices collectively fell, with the Dow Jones down 0.36%, S&P 500 down 0.43%, and Nasdaq down 0.94%, reflecting increased market concerns [3] Group 2: Influencing Factors - The sell-off in gold and silver was triggered by a rebound in the U.S. dollar, following reports of President Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve Chairman, which was later confirmed [2][4] - Standard Chartered's global head of commodity research noted that the market was already due for a correction, and the announcement of the Fed Chair nominee, along with broader macroeconomic factors, acted as catalysts for profit-taking [2] - The U.S. dollar index saw a significant increase, marking its largest single-day rise since July of the previous year, which negatively impacted investor confidence in gold and silver [2] Group 3: Sector Performance - The gold sector faced substantial losses, with major companies like Newmont down 11.52%, Barrick Gold down 12.09%, and AngloGold down 13.28% [3] - The technology sector also experienced declines, with major tech stocks like Meta and TSMC dropping nearly 3%, while Amazon fell by 1% [3] - Chinese concept stocks saw a downturn, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index closing down 2.36%, and individual stocks like Bilibili and Li Auto dropping over 3% [3]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses a significant drop in gold and silver prices, attributed to the market's reaction to Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as the Federal Reserve Chairman, which is perceived as a hawkish choice, leading to a stronger dollar and reduced appeal for dollar-denominated commodities [1][3][14]. Group 1: Market Reaction - Gold prices fell sharply after reaching a historical high, with a drop of nearly 13%, marking the largest intraday decline since the early 1980s [1][11]. - Silver, which had previously surged past $120, saw its price plummet over 35%, the largest recorded drop in history [1][11]. - The entire metals market was affected, with copper also experiencing a significant decline of nearly 6% after reaching record highs [1][11]. Group 2: Federal Reserve Policy Expectations - The market's sell-off was driven by a sudden shift in expectations regarding Federal Reserve policy, with Warsh's nomination seen as a signal against aggressive rate cuts [3][4]. - Analysts noted that Warsh's hawkish reputation, despite recent support for rate cuts, contributed to a rebound in the dollar, making dollar-denominated commodities less attractive [4][18]. Group 3: Market Vulnerability - The dramatic price drop highlighted the extreme vulnerability of the precious metals market, which had been characterized by crowded long positions and record levels of bullish options buying [7][8]. - Analysts indicated that the market had become highly speculative, with a potential for a "gamma squeeze" that could exacerbate price movements [20][22]. Group 4: Technical Indicators and Market Sentiment - Prior to the crash, technical indicators suggested that gold and silver were overbought, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) for gold reaching a historic high of 90 [24]. - Despite the sharp decline, both gold and silver recorded substantial gains for January, with gold up approximately 9% and silver over 10% [24]. Group 5: Mining Stocks and ETFs - The drop in precious metals prices led to significant declines in major mining companies, with stocks like Newmont and Barrick Mining falling over 10% [26]. - Silver ETFs experienced even greater losses, with some funds seeing declines of over 60%, marking their worst single-day performance [26]. Group 6: Future Outlook - Some analysts view the recent pullback as a healthy correction, suggesting that the rapid price increases necessitated a consolidation phase [26]. - There are indications that buying opportunities may arise as prices stabilize, particularly for silver, which is expected to benefit from industrial demand and supply shortages [26].

Core Insights - The year 2026 has begun with notable cross-asset volatility due to rising geopolitical risks, late-cycle monetary uncertainty, and uneven earnings visibility, leading to sharp sector and asset-class rotations rather than broad sell-offs [1] Precious Metals - Gold has traded above $5,300/oz and silver exceeded $110/oz in January, marking one of the strongest monthly starts in decades, with gold up approximately 23% in January, its best monthly performance since the 1980s [2] - In 2025, gold rose 65.2% and silver more than 150%, significantly outperforming global equities, while gold-mining equities gained 166.4%, compared to a 23.1% increase in the FTSE All-World Index [3] Earnings Outlook - Despite macroeconomic stress, the mean earnings-per-share (EPS) estimate for the Zacks S&P 500 Composite indicates a growth of 29.3% in 2026, with capital rotating towards assets with pricing power and strong balance sheets [8] AI Capital Expenditure - Companies are increasing long-term investments in AI data centers, advanced semiconductors, and cloud infrastructure, making this spending a strategic necessity rather than a discretionary upgrade [9][10] Sector Positioning for 2026 - Selective sector allocation is recommended for 2026, focusing on three standout sectors: AI infrastructure and semiconductors, precious metals and gold-linked equities, and energy and critical materials [11] AI Infrastructure & Semiconductors - Capital is concentrating in companies with AI capacity, with NVIDIA and Micron Technology emerging as key beneficiaries, projected to report earnings growth of 57.1% and 298.7% respectively in their upcoming fiscal years [12] Precious Metals & Gold-linked Equities - Gold-mining equities are outperforming bullion due to higher realized prices and disciplined capital expenditure, with Newmont and Barrick projected to report earnings growth of 20.8% and 45% respectively in 2026 [14] Energy & Critical Materials - The demand for electricity and key inputs like copper and nickel is accelerating due to AI data centers, with utilities like NextEra expected to report earnings growth of 7.8% in 2026 [16]

Group 1 - Newmont Corporation's stock experienced a significant drop of 7.2% after reaching an all-time high of over $134 per share [1][2] - The decline in Newmont's stock price is correlated with fluctuations in gold prices, which recently peaked at $5,615 before falling to $5,080, a decrease of 5.2% [2][3] - UBS raised its price target for Newmont stock by 28% to $160 per share while maintaining a buy rating, indicating confidence in the company's future performance [4] Group 2 - Despite a tripling in stock price over the past year, Newmont's stock is still considered undervalued with a price-to-earnings ratio of less than 20 and a projected earnings growth of 58% annually over the next five years [4][5] - The PEG ratio for Newmont stock stands at 0.34, suggesting it is a cheap investment opportunity [5] - Newmont was not included in the Motley Fool Stock Advisor's list of the 10 best stocks to buy, which may indicate alternative investment opportunities [6]

Group 1 - Precious metal stocks experienced a significant pre-market decline, with First Majestic Silver (AG.US) dropping nearly 13% [1] - Endeavour Silver (EXK.US) fell over 12%, while Pan American Silver (PAAS.US) and Harmony Gold (HMY.US) both declined nearly 10% [1] - Newmont Corporation (NEM.US) saw a decline of nearly 8% [1] Group 2 - Spot gold prices plummeted, breaking below the $5000.00 per ounce mark, with a daily drop of 7% [1] - The latest COMEX gold futures reported at $5027.80 per ounce, reflecting a daily decrease of 6.11% [1] - London spot silver fell over 16%, currently priced at $98.60 [1]

Company Performance - Newmont Corporation's stock closed at $126.93, reflecting a -3.8% change from the previous day's closing price, which is less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.13% [1] - Over the past month, Newmont's shares have gained 32.15%, significantly outperforming the Basic Materials sector's gain of 12.37% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.78% [1] Upcoming Earnings - The upcoming earnings report for Newmont Corporation is scheduled for February 19, 2026, with an expected EPS of $1.81, indicating a 29.29% increase compared to the same quarter last year [2] - The consensus estimate for revenue is projected at $5.75 billion, which represents a 1.78% increase from the prior-year quarter [2] Full Year Estimates - For the full year, Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $6.33 per share and revenue of $21.72 billion, showing changes of +81.9% and 0%, respectively, from the previous year [3] - Recent changes to analyst estimates for Newmont indicate a favorable outlook on the company's business health and profitability [3] Analyst Ratings - The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), currently rates Newmont Corporation as 3 (Hold) [5] - The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has increased by 3.27% in the past month, reflecting positive sentiment among analysts [5] Valuation Metrics - Newmont Corporation has a Forward P/E ratio of 17.25, which is a premium compared to the industry average Forward P/E of 16.02 [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.01, while the Mining - Gold industry has an average PEG ratio of 0.49 [6] Industry Overview - The Mining - Gold industry, part of the Basic Materials sector, holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 74, placing it in the top 31% of over 250 industries [7] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Group 1 - Precious metals, particularly silver and gold, have reached all-time highs in early 2026, indicating a strong market sentiment among "gold bugs" [1] - The S&P 500 Materials Sector SPDR (XLB) is not reflecting the same bullish sentiment, suggesting a divergence between precious metals and industrial materials [2][4] - XLB includes major companies in the industrial sector, such as Linde PLC, Newmont Corp, and Freeport-McMoRan, but is struggling to keep pace with the S&P 500 Index despite higher metal prices [4] Group 2 - The current market situation indicates a cooling industrial demand for materials, as chemical companies and construction material providers face margin pressures from rising energy costs and slowing manufacturing data [5] - Historically, a scenario where precious metals rise while industrial materials lag signals a speculative rally rather than one based on economic fundamentals [6] - XLB is currently near its 200-day moving average and unable to break resistance levels, suggesting potential exhaustion in the rally of gold and silver [7] Group 3 - The high Percentage Price Oscillator (PPO) level and stretched price nature of XLB indicate caution for investors, although a rally in energy stocks could mitigate some of the potential downturn in precious metals [8]

Core Viewpoint - The precious metals market experienced significant declines, with gold and silver prices dropping sharply, impacting related stocks negatively [1] Group 1: Gold Market - Spot gold fell below three key psychological levels, reaching a low of $5105.83, a drop of over $400 from its intraday high [1] - The decline in gold prices reflects broader market volatility and investor sentiment [1] Group 2: Silver Market - Spot silver saw a drastic decline of 8% during the day, after briefly surpassing $121 per ounce, falling over $15 to currently trade at $108.23 per ounce [1] - The sharp drop in silver prices indicates a significant shift in market dynamics and investor confidence [1] Group 3: Mining Stocks - Precious metal mining stocks experienced notable declines, with Endeavour Silver (EXK.US) and First Majestic Silver (AG.US) both dropping over 8% [1] - Pan American Silver (PAAS.US) fell more than 6.7%, Newmont Corporation (NEM.US) decreased over 5%, and Harmony Gold (HMY.US) dropped over 8% [1]

Core Viewpoint - Newmont Corporation (NEM) has significantly outperformed the broader market and is experiencing strong growth in earnings potential due to rising gold prices. Group 1: Company Overview - Newmont Corporation is a gold mining company based in Denver, Colorado, with a market capitalization of $144 billion, primarily focused on gold production and also involved in copper, silver, zinc, and lead as by-products [1]. Group 2: Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, NEM shares have increased by 219.1%, while the S&P 500 Index has only gained 15%. Year-to-date, NEM is up 32.2%, compared to the S&P 500's 1.9% return [2]. - NEM has outperformed the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX), which rose 197.5% over the past 52 weeks and 30.8% year-to-date [3]. Group 3: Market Reaction and Earnings Potential - On January 28, NEM shares rose by 3.9% as gold prices surged over 3% to a new all-time high, enhancing investor optimism regarding the miners' earnings potential, cash flows, and margins [4]. - For the current fiscal year ending in December, analysts project NEM's earnings per share (EPS) to grow by 81.9% year-over-year to $6.33, with a strong earnings surprise history [5]. Group 4: Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Among 23 analysts covering NEM, the consensus rating is a "Strong Buy," with 17 "Strong Buy," two "Moderate Buy," and four "Hold" ratings [5]. - The Bank of Nova Scotia has maintained an "Outperform" rating on NEM and raised its price target to $152, indicating a potential upside of 15.2% from current levels, while the stock is trading above its mean price target of $119.83 [6].

Group 1 - Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) is recognized as one of the 11 most profitable cheap stocks to invest in currently, with Scotiabank raising its price target from $114 to $152 while maintaining an Outperform rating [1] - Scotiabank has updated its price targets for gold and precious minerals companies, increasing its forecasts for gold and silver prices due to ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainties and central bank buying [2] - Citi raised its price target for Newmont from $104 to $118, maintaining a Buy rating, while expressing a neutral stance on gold prices after a recent rally and expecting some moderation throughout the year [3] - Raymond James also increased its price target for Newmont from $99 to $111, keeping an Outperform rating, and emphasized the company's lower jurisdictional risk and solid cash flow generation [4] Group 2 - Newmont Corporation is a major player in the gold mining industry and also produces copper, zinc, lead, and silver, making it one of the largest gold mining companies globally [5]