Market Overview - U.S. equity markets are facing challenges due to a tech-led sell-off and cautious premarket activity, with a focus on corporate earnings and economic data [1] - The Nasdaq Composite, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and S&P 500 have all entered negative territory for 2026, with the S&P 500 dropping to 6790 points, reflecting a 0.12% decline from the previous session [6] Premarket Trading and Futures Movements - U.S. stock futures showed mixed results, with initial declines influenced by the technology sector and Amazon's earnings miss, but later rebounded slightly [2] - Nasdaq 100 futures fell by 0.37% initially but gained 0.35% later, while S&P 500 futures dropped 0.16% before rising 0.29% [2] Corporate Earnings Impact - Amazon's shares fell between 8% and 11% in premarket trading following a fourth-quarter earnings report that included a higher-than-expected capital expenditure guidance of approximately $200 billion for 2026, primarily for AI projects [3] - Alphabet's shares dropped 4% despite exceeding earnings expectations, attributed to concerns over heavy spending plans projected between $175 billion and $185 billion for 2026 [12] Treasury Yields - U.S. Treasury yields increased, with the 10-year yield rising to 4.20%, the 30-year yield climbing to 4.86%, and the 2-year yield increasing to 3.49% [4] Notable Movers - Gen Digital surged by 10.97%, FactSet Research Systems rose by 5.17%, and Coinbase Global gained 4.28% in premarket trading [5] - Molina Healthcare experienced a significant decline of 33.10%, while Centene dropped by 10.12% [5] Upcoming Economic Events - The U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls report and unemployment rate, typically a major market mover, has been postponed due to a federal government shutdown [8] - Federal Reserve officials are scheduled to speak, providing insights into economic outlook and monetary policy, with a focus on potential future rate decisions [9] Sector Recommendations - Analysts suggest focusing on companies with durable demand and strong balance sheets in sectors like aerospace, defense, gold, energy, and cybersecurity amidst market uncertainty, highlighting Howmet Aerospace and Chevron as potential opportunities [15]

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street experienced a significant decline, primarily driven by losses in major tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon, as Alphabet announced plans to double its capital spending on AI, potentially reaching $185 billion by 2026, contributing to a collective expenditure of over $500 billion on AI by Big Tech this year [1][4]. Group 1: Company Performance - Microsoft shares fell by 5%, while Palantir and Oracle saw declines of 6.8% and 7%, respectively [2]. - Amazon's stock dropped 4.4% during regular trading and fell an additional 10% after hours, reflecting concerns over substantial capital expenditures in AI [4]. - Nvidia, a chipmaker expected to benefit from increased AI spending, saw a decline of 1.4% [4]. - Qualcomm's shares slid 8.5% after forecasting second-quarter revenue and profit below estimates [9]. - Estee Lauder shares fell 19% as the company forecasted annual results below estimates [12]. Group 2: Market Trends - Investors have become increasingly cautious about heavy AI spending, seeking evidence that such investments are translating into revenue and profit growth [5]. - The S&P 500 software and services index fell 4.6%, marking a seventh consecutive session of losses, with notable declines in ServiceNow (down 7.6%) and Salesforce (down almost 5%) [8]. - The S&P 500 declined 1.23% to close at 6,798.40 points, with the Nasdaq down 1.59% to 22,540.59 points, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.20% to 48,908.72 points [11]. - The S&P 500 value index dipped 0.9% but remained positive for the week, while the growth index fell over 4% for the week [10]. Group 3: Investor Sentiment - The volatility in large-cap tech companies reflects uncertainty about whether significant capital expenditures will yield positive results [7]. - The CBOE volatility index, a measure of market fear, briefly reached its highest level in over two months [9]. - A shift in market focus has been observed, with traders reducing exposure to high-priced AI stocks and moving towards relatively cheaper stocks [10].

Group 1: Market Overview - US stocks experienced a decline, with the Nasdaq Composite falling 1.4%, the S&P 500 down 0.8%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreasing by approximately 0.3% [1] - The tech sector faced significant selling pressure, particularly affecting major tech companies [2][3] Group 2: Company Earnings and Performance - Palantir reported unexpectedly strong quarterly results, suggesting potential growth in the AI sector, although the positive sentiment was short-lived as tech stocks continued to slide [2] - Nvidia's stock dropped nearly 3% due to deteriorating relations with OpenAI, which has stalled discussions regarding a potential $100 billion investment [3] - PayPal's earnings and forecast fell short of expectations, leading to a stock decline of over 20% following the announcement of a new CEO [5] Group 3: Corporate Leadership Changes - The Walt Disney Company appointed Josh D'Amaro as the new CEO, set to replace Bob Iger on March 18, which resulted in a decline in shares [6] Group 4: Precious Metals Market - Precious metals saw significant volatility, with gold surging over 6%, marking its largest daily gain since 2008, while silver rebounded dramatically, increasing over 9% [6]

For the first time since 2022, international stocks blew past the U.S. market. In 2025, the MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks stocks in developed markets outside the U.S. and Canada, returned roughly 32%, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index climbed about 34%. Both easily topped the S&P 500, which represents the top 500 U.S. companies, as it finished the year with gains of nearly 18%. Must Read After years of U.S. domination, especially in big tech, this deep shift may have investors wondering if it’s tim ...

Group 1: Market Overview - US stocks experienced a decline, with the Nasdaq Composite falling by 1.6%, the S&P 500 losing nearly 1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreasing by around 0.4% [1] - The tech sector faced pressure despite initial gains, influenced by a wave of earnings reports and ongoing concerns about a partial government shutdown [1] Group 2: Tech Sector Performance - Palantir reported strong quarterly results, indicating continued demand for its AI platform, which initially boosted tech stocks [2] - However, major tech companies like Nvidia, Amazon, and Microsoft saw declines, with Nvidia dropping over 3% due to cooling relations with OpenAI and concerns over potential overspending in the AI sector [3][4] - PayPal's earnings and forecast missed estimates, leading to a stock drop of over 16% amid a broader sell-off in software stocks [5] Group 3: Corporate Developments - The Walt Disney Company appointed Josh D'Amaro as the new CEO, set to replace Bob Iger on March 18, but shares in Disney fell following the announcement [6] Group 4: Precious Metals Market - Precious metals experienced significant volatility, with gold surging over 6%, marking its largest daily gain since 2008, while silver rebounded dramatically, increasing over 13% [7]

Group 1: Market Overview - US stocks experienced a slight increase, with the Nasdaq Composite rising by 0.2%, the S&P 500 up by 0.1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining approximately 0.3% after a significant 500-point advance on Monday [1] - The S&P 500 is approaching a new record, driven by Palantir's strong quarterly results, which indicated robust demand for its AI platform and led to an over 11% increase in its stock price [2] Group 2: AI Sector Developments - Investors are closely watching Nvidia and OpenAI due to signs of deteriorating relations, with OpenAI expressing dissatisfaction with Nvidia's latest AI chips, impacting discussions about a potential $100 billion investment [3] - AMD's upcoming earnings report is anticipated to provide insights into the AI sector amidst concerns about potential overspending by Big Tech and the risk of an AI bubble [4] Group 3: Corporate Earnings and Leadership Changes - PayPal reported earnings and forecasts that fell short of estimates, resulting in a stock decline of over 16%, coinciding with a leadership change as Enrique Lores from HP was named the new CEO [5] - The Walt Disney Company appointed Josh D'Amaro as the new CEO, set to replace Bob Iger on March 18, leading to a drop in Disney's shares at the open [6] Group 4: Precious Metals and Other Market Movements - Precious metals experienced significant volatility, with gold surging over 6% for its largest daily gain since 2008, following a substantial drop on Friday, while silver rebounded dramatically, increasing over 13% [7] - Space stocks rose in premarket trading after Elon Musk announced SpaceX's acquisition of xAI, valuing the merged entity at $1.25 trillion [7]

Market Performance - The S&P 500 rose 0.54% to close at 6,976.44 points, nearing its record high of 6,978.60 [7][10] - The Nasdaq gained 0.56% to 23,592.11 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.05% to 49,407.66 points [10] - The S&P 500 experienced its first gain in three sessions, driven by gains in chipmakers and AI-related companies [9][10] Company Highlights - Alphabet's stock increased by 1.9% to a record high, and Amazon's stock rose by 1.5%, with both companies set to report quarterly results soon [1][9] - SanDisk surged 15.4%, Advanced Micro Devices rose 4%, and Micron Technology added 5.5%, benefiting from AI-related demand [1][9] - Walt Disney's stock fell 7.4% despite exceeding quarterly earnings expectations, due to warnings about declining international visitors and earnings slumps in its TV and film division [6][10] Economic Indicators - Analysts project S&P 500 companies' earnings to grow nearly 11% in the December quarter, up from an initial estimate of about 9% [6] - U.S. factory activity showed growth for the first time in a year in January, according to PMI data [8][10] - The CBOE VIX, a volatility index, decreased by 1 point to 16.5, indicating reduced market fear [8][10] Small-Cap Stocks - The Russell 2000 index rose about 1%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq in 2026, reflecting investor confidence in the economy [2][9] - Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones in the S&P 500 by a ratio of 1.4-to-one, with 30 new highs and 9 new lows recorded [9][10]

Market Overview - U.S. equities closed in negative territory on February 2nd, 2026, with all three major benchmark indexes finishing lower amid cautious trading and sector-specific pressures [1] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4% to 48,892.47, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.9% to 23,461.82, and the S&P 500 lost 0.4% to 6,939.03 [2] Sector Performance - Seven of the eleven S&P 500 sectors closed in negative territory, with the Materials Select Sector SPDR declining 1.9%, Technology Select Sector SPDR down 1.3%, and Industrials Select Sector SPDR falling 0.3% [3] - The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR was a standout, gaining 1.4% [3] Corporate Earnings and Developments - Over one hundred S&P 500 companies are set to report earnings, with notable tech giants Amazon and Alphabet among them [4] - Oracle announced plans to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion in 2026 to expand capacity for its cloud infrastructure, but its stock fell 1% following the announcement [7] - Nvidia shares declined 2.5% due to stalled investment plans in OpenAI, raising concerns about the AI sector [8] - The Walt Disney Company saw a nearly 7% drop in stock despite reporting better-than-expected quarterly results, influenced by CEO succession concerns [9] - Palantir is expected to report results after the market close, with its stock under pressure, down about 30% from its record high [10] Sector Highlights - SanDisk and Western Digital were top performers in the S&P 500, rising 14% and 8% respectively, driven by strong demand from the AI sector [11] - Caterpillar and Walmart led the Dow with gains of 4.5% and 4% respectively [11] - IDEXX Laboratories shares fell 5.5% due to ongoing pressure on clinical visits [12] Economic Indicators - The Producer Price Index (PPI) increased by 0.5% in December, with core PPI rising 0.4% [5] - The ISM manufacturing index indicated U.S. factory activity expanded in January for the first time in a year, exceeding expectations [5] Geopolitical and Commodity Developments - Precious metals saw sharp declines, with gold futures falling over 11% and silver futures plunging over 31%, reflecting rising Treasury yields and policy uncertainty [13] - Crude oil prices eased, with Brent crude down 5% to $65.80 per barrel, attributed to de-escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Iran [14]

Group 1 - SoftBank Group is in discussions to invest up to $30 billion in OpenAI, which is seeking up to $100 billion in new capital [1][4] - SoftBank holds approximately 11% stake in OpenAI after a recent $22.5 billion investment [2] - The company's shares rose over 8% following the news, later stabilizing at a 3.7% increase [1] Group 2 - SoftBank is actively repositioning itself around artificial intelligence, having sold stakes in Nvidia and T-Mobile to fund its investment in OpenAI [3] - OpenAI requires substantial funding for AI model development, computing needs, and talent retention, with a potential valuation of up to $830 billion if the funding is successful [4] - OpenAI plans to slow down hiring due to advancements in AI that allow for increased output with smaller teams [5]

Group 1 - The focus on technology stocks related to artificial intelligence (AI) often overlooks the essential supply chain components, such as copper, which is critical for AI technologies, highlighting the investment potential in Southern Copper (NYSE: SCCO) [1] - Southern Copper is a copper mining company that requires significant time and capital investment to develop mines, including obtaining approvals and restoring sites post-extraction [2] - The current demand for copper is driven by AI, with Southern Copper estimating that global copper inventories will only cover eight days of demand by the end of Q3 2025, indicating a potential supply deficit [3] Group 2 - Copper prices are influenced by supply and demand dynamics, with rising demand leading to higher prices; despite a decrease in production to 235 million tons in Q3 2025 compared to Q3 2024, Southern Copper still achieved higher sales due to rising copper prices [4] - Southern Copper's stock price has increased by 95% over the past year, reflecting investor awareness of copper market trends; however, resolving the supply-demand imbalance will take time, with new mines expected to open in 2027 and 2028 [5] - The company has plans for additional copper projects beyond the upcoming mines, indicating a long-term growth strategy in the copper market [5][7]