Core Viewpoint - The yen has experienced a modest decline following the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) significant electoral victory, which may lead to increased fiscal stimulus under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi [1][2]. Currency Movement - The yen dropped 0.3% to 157.62 per dollar, marking its weakest level in over two weeks [2]. - The LDP secured a two-thirds super majority in the 465-seat lower house, the highest proportion of representatives for any party in post-war Japan [2]. Fiscal Policy Implications - Concerns regarding Japan's fiscal spending have intensified, particularly after Takaichi's announcement of a temporary sales tax cut on food, raising fears about the country's debt levels [3]. - A decisive electoral victory is expected to bolster expectations for proactive fiscal policy, which may encourage short-term selling of the yen [4]. Market Reactions - Further declines in the yen could approach levels where Japanese authorities previously intervened, with traders monitoring the 159.45 per dollar mark reached in mid-January [5]. - Japanese officials are more focused on currency volatility and the pace of movements rather than specific exchange rate levels [5]. Monetary Policy Expectations - Persistent weakness in the yen is influencing expectations for the Bank of Japan's policy, with increasing speculation about a potential rate hike by April [6]. - The yen's recent decline has been exacerbated by comments from Takaichi, suggesting that a weaker currency could benefit export industries [7]. Intervention Speculations - Analysts anticipate rising verbal interventions as the USD/JPY approaches 159, with actual intervention likely to occur closer to 162 [8].

Welcome back to Market on Close. I'm Sam Vardis live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It's time now for overlooked stocks.Shares of Woodward Inc. rallying to a new alltime high today after its earnings report. So George Tillis is with our senior markets correspondent. So I've just seen this is in the business of manufacturing for the industrial space, aerospace.It's got commercial and defense customers. So I suppose it's a no-brainer particularly off the back of what we've heard from Palance h ...

Joining us now is former Kansas City Fed President Thomas Honig. It's great to have you back, Thomas. So, I actually want to start with what what I think is the biggest market story today, which is the strength in the Japanese yen on rumors and speculation of intervention by potentially the US here at the same time where gold is making new highs and up another 2%.Is is this something that you think will get discussed at the Fed meeting this week. I'm almost certain it will be discussed at the Fed meeting bo ...

Vi e w p o i n t | 16 Jan 2026 14:58:05 ET │ 12 pages China Banks Our take on recent monetary stimulus; Fiscal stimulus on the way; Time to revisit China banks +852-2501-2367 calvin.leung@citi.com See Appendix A-1 for Analyst Certification, Important Disclosures and Research Analyst Affiliations. CITI'S TAKE On Jan 15, PBoC held a press conference and announced new supportive monetary policies (summarized in Fig 1), including: i) expansion of relending facilities quota/coverage with additional relending quo ...

The New Year celebrations continue in the investing world. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is near a record. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) is near a record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) is knocking on the door of breaking through 50,000 for the first time. "The rally is broadening out — and that’s exactly what you want to see at this stage of the cycle," SlateStone Wealth chief market strategist and Yahoo Finance contributor Kenny Polcari said. "More stocks (think the other S&P 500 names) are participating ...

Core Insights - Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) is recognized as one of the best dividend stocks to invest in for January [1] - Wells Fargo has added Casey's to its Q1 2026 Tactical Ideas list, indicating a favorable outlook for the company [2] - The company is expected to exceed near-term EPS expectations, supported by its growth strategy and fiscal stimulus [3] Financial Performance - Goldman Sachs raised its price target for Casey's from $490 to $530, citing strong Q2 EPS performance that surpassed both its estimates and consensus [4] - The positive results were attributed to better-than-expected fuel margins and effective execution on inside margins [4] Company Overview - Casey's operates approximately 2,900 convenience stores across 19 states, offering self-service fuel, grocery items, and freshly prepared food options [5]

Labor Market and Economic Outlook - The labor market remains stable, with jobless claims consistently between 200,000 and 240,000, indicating no overheating but also no deterioration, setting a positive outlook for 2026 [2] - A dovish rate environment could potentially reverse job losses attributed to technology [2][3] Federal Reserve and Inflation - The Federal Reserve is expected to lower the Fed funds rate to the low 3% range, supported by a favorable inflation report and downward pressure from housing costs on the CPI [3] - The CPI is projected to remain in the low 2% range, allowing for further rate reductions by the Fed [3] Fiscal Stimulus and Tax Policy - Changes in tax policy may provide fiscal stimulus, benefiting both individuals and corporations through larger refunds and lower tax rates [4] - Upcoming Supreme Court rulings regarding tariffs and potential government shutdowns could disrupt the economic landscape, impacting the effectiveness of fiscal policies [5][6] Balancing Risks and Tailwinds - The economic outlook is characterized by a balance of positive factors, such as tax refunds and lower gas prices, against negative factors like potential student loan payments resuming and expiring ACA subsidies [7] - The ACA subsidies are a significant political issue, with implications for the upcoming midterm elections, affecting healthcare costs and overall economic sentiment [8] Housing Market - Rental and home prices have stabilized, with no longer experiencing double-digit inflation, although they remain expensive for many Americans [9]

The roaring 20s are alive and well. That according to our next guest, Ed Yard Denny. He's the president of Yard Denny Research.He joins us now. It's good to see you. So, we were just a little delayed on the roaring 20s, maybe thanks to co and here we are about to regroup.>> Well, I think we've been doing pretty well since uh since the beginning of the of the decade. I mean, think of all the uh shocks that the economy has been hit by the pandemic, the lockdowns for two months. Uh then the social distancing, ...

Tech & AI Outlook - Tech sector is expected to perform well in the coming year, with a setup similar to the previous year, driven by factors like Fed rate cuts and a strong economy [1][2] - AI is anticipated to be a tailwind, fostering growth in tech and other sectors [2] - AI use cases are expanding across various sectors, including tech, consumer, and financials, indicating its potential to become ubiquitous [3][4] - Companies need to continue investing in AI and demonstrate beneficial returns to sustain spending [4] - The market is discerning about AI investments, focusing on cash flow and returns, suggesting a healthy investment environment [10][11] Labor Market Impact - The extent to which job cuts are directly related to AI is currently uncertain [6] - There may be a period of workforce digestion due to AI, but in the long term, it is expected to be a net positive for jobs [6][7] Investment Strategy - Positive outlook on infrastructure spending, particularly on hyperscalers and electrical equipment companies involved in physical infrastructure for AI [8] - Focus on technology companies that enable AI scalability, deployment, and security, such as Palo Alto Networks and MongoDB [8][9] - Companies that help clean up and prepare data for AI are also considered promising [9] - US market remains favorable due to stronger growth and corporate earnings compared to other global regions [15][16]

Scott Croniner joins us from uh city. He's US equity strategist. Scott, not to ask how much you can deadlift, but feel free to offer, you know, [laughter] >> let's just say, Kelly, I can lift my weight, but that's about it.>> Which is looking like a little less than that. All right. So, you do think a more dovish Fed is is a plank of this bull market story.>> Yeah, it's it's kind of interesting. We just published a note that hit a few minutes ago that I I titled uh the data is dead, long live the data. And ...