RomanR / Shutterstock.com Quick Read With gold rebounding about $55 this morning, mining stocks, like Newmont Corp., are up about $1.85. While the RKLB stock took a breather after a substantial run from $40.88 to nearly $80 a share, it’s seeing further upside. After rocketing nearly $10 higher on Monday, shares of Micron Technology are up another $2.10 this morning. A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ retirement savings and moved retirement from dream, to reality. Re ...

[Music] Welcome back to Market on Close. I'm Sam Bardis alongside Alex Coffeeoffe. So just some final thoughts on today's session, Alex.I mean really the conversation right now has been centered around the 2026 outlook as most of our guests have been talking about over the last 90 minutes or so. The guests I've been speaking to really believe that the beginning of 2026 is likely going to be really an extension of the end of 2025. And what they mean by that is the drivers which are really propelling this mar ...

Key Takeaways The S&P 500 is up 18% YTD and could extend gains into early 2026.JPMorgan, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and Deutsche Bank forecast the index near 7,500-8,000.ETFs like VOO, VUG, RSP and IJR offer diversified ways to play the market rally.Though much of 2025 was clouded by tariff fears, geopolitical tensions and AI bubble concerns, the S&P 500 looks poised to end the year with solid double-digit growth. The broad market index is up 18% year to date and about 1.7% month to date, placing it on course fo ...

Core Viewpoint - The abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF (SIVR) has reached a 52-week high and has increased by 172.12% from its 52-week low price of $26.19 per share, indicating strong momentum in the silver market [1]. Group 1: ETF Performance - SIVR is designed to track the spot price of silver bullion and charges 30 basis points in annual fees [1]. - The ETF currently holds a Zacks ETF Rank 3 (Hold) with a high-risk outlook, suggesting potential for continued strong performance in the near term [4]. Group 2: Market Drivers - Silver prices are rising due to supply constraints and increasing industrial demand, as silver is essential in modern technology and clean energy solutions [2]. - Expectations of interest rate cuts in 2026 are favorable for silver, as a weakening U.S. dollar can enhance global demand, making silver more affordable for international buyers [3]. Group 3: Future Outlook - SIVR has a positive weighted alpha of 210.74, indicating potential for further price rallies in the near term [4].

We recently published Big Winners: 10 Stocks Refusing to take a Holiday. Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW) is one of the last week's best performers. Sibanye Stillwater jumped by 9.6 percent week-on-week, as investors loaded portfolios in mining firms after gold prices soared to a new record high. On Friday, December 26, the spot prices of gold surged by 1.20 percent to $4,533.21, as funds shifted to safer assets to mitigate risks from macroeconomic uncertainties, while digesting President Donald T ...

A surge in the price of silver to record highs this month has prompted a warning from Elon Musk that manufacturers could suffer the consequences.Silver has risen sharply during December, part of a precious metals rally that also pushed gold and platinum to record levels on Boxing Day.Analysts have attributed the jump in prices to expectations of US interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in 2026, leading to increased demand for hard assets that protect against inflation and currency debasement.New restric ...

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve has begun cutting interest rates in response to slowing economic activity and easing inflation, which is expected to benefit the banking sector, particularly Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Citigroup [2][3]. Group 1: Impact of Interest Rate Cuts on Banks - Lower interest rates stimulate loan demand from both consumers and businesses, leading to increased lending activity, which can help banks grow loan volumes despite pressure on net interest margins [4]. - Improved credit quality due to lower debt servicing costs reduces the risk of delinquencies and defaults, allowing banks to focus on growth rather than balance-sheet defense [5]. - Falling rates enhance fee-based income streams as capital markets activity increases, benefiting investment banking, trading, and wealth management divisions [6][7]. Group 2: Company-Specific Insights Wells Fargo (WFC) - WFC aims to stabilize funding costs and grow loan assets aggressively, expecting stable net interest income (NII) in 2025 due to increased loan origination [8][10]. - The bank plans to diversify its revenue streams by expanding fee-rich franchises in investment banking, trading, and wealth management [9]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects WFC's earnings growth rates of 16.8% for 2025 and 11.9% for 2026 [11]. Bank of America (BAC) - BAC is positioned to benefit from fixed-rate asset repricing and expects NII growth of 5-7% in 2026, following similar growth in 2025 [12]. - The bank is focusing on organic growth through the expansion of its physical and digital presence, planning to open over 150 financial centers by 2027 [13]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates earnings growth of 15.9% for 2025 and 14% for 2026 [14]. Citigroup - Citigroup has experienced a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4% in NII over the past three years, with expectations for a 5.5% year-over-year increase in 2025 [15]. - The company is streamlining its consumer banking operations globally, which will free up capital for investments in wealth management and investment banking [16]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate forecasts earnings growth of 27.6% for 2025 and 32.4% for 2026 [17].

2025 was nothing if not eventful, and financial advisors say they're expecting more of the same in 2026. With potential cuts to consumer protections and new rules around artificial intelligence on the horizon, advisors say sweeping regulatory changes could reshape how wealth management firms operate and serve clients. Financial Planning surveyed over 200 advisors across the industry to capture their policy predictions for the year ahead. In line with findings from FP's monthly FACO survey, tariff-induced ...

Key Takeaways There's also the question of what will happen with current board member Stephen Miran, whose term ends in January 2026. Miran has consistently advocated for aggressive interest rate cuts during his term on the board. He is serving the remaining term of former Governor Adriana Kugler and could return to his role as chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, which he left to take the short-term appointment as a Fed governor. Significant changes are anticipated for the Federal Rese ...

Donald Trump said he expects his Federal Reserve chair to lower interest rates if the economy is doing well, the latest signal that the president is eager for a nominee committed to borrowing cost cuts as he nears an announcement of his choice to replace Jerome Powell. “I want my new Fed Chairman to lower Interest Rates if the Market is doing well, not destroy the Market for no reason whatsoever,” Trump said in a social media post Tuesday. “Anybody that disagrees with me will never be the Fed Chairman!” ...