USAR’s announcement also clipped MP Materials (NYSE: MP) in the short term, and Lango argued it was more about narrative than fundamentals.Lango’s “why” is the durable part. Rare earths aren’t just another commodity cycle in his view. They’re a strategic input across the AI buildout, including motors, magnets, data center hardware, and physical AI devices. In addition, the United States is trying to reduce dependence on China, which controls most of the processing market.Big, fast repricings like that tend ...

Fed comments on Friday were mixed for stocks. On the negative side, St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem said, "With inflation above target and the risks to the outlook evenly balanced, I believe it would be unadvisable to lower the fed funds rate into accommodative territory at this time." Conversely, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said, "Monetary policy is still restricting economic activity, and economic data make it clear to me further easing is needed."Friday’s news was better-than-expected after t ...

Core Viewpoint - The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached an all-time high at the beginning of the year, but there are still significant growth opportunities in various sectors, particularly healthcare, finance, and retail, especially if the U.S. Federal Reserve continues to lower interest rates [1] Healthcare Sector - **Novo Nordisk ADR (NVO)**: The company is recognized for its diabetes drugs and GLP-1 weight loss injections. The stock experienced a 150% increase in 2023/24 but faced a decline in 2025 due to competition and pricing issues. Currently, it has a forward P/E of around 16 and a dividend yield of 3%. A new oral pill version of Wegovy has been approved, and there is a potential upside of 50% in 2026 if shares can be acquired for under $60 [2][3] - **Eli Lilly (LLY)**: This company is a competitor to Novo Nordisk, known for its tirzepatide injections and other medications. Eli Lilly is involved in AI for drug development, with a significant investment from Nvidia. The stock has a "Strong Buy" rating with a high price target of $1,500, closing at $1,078.52 on January 21 [4][5] Retail Sector - **TJX Companies Inc. (TJX)**: The company operates discount retailers such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, and is positioned favorably compared to many competitors in the retail space, indicating potential for growth [6]

Economic Indicators - The January S&P US manufacturing PMI is expected to increase by +0.2 to 52.0 [1] - The final University of Michigan January US consumer sentiment index is anticipated to remain unchanged at 54.0 [1] - Weekly initial unemployment claims rose by 1,000 to 200,000, better than the expected 209,000 [4] - Q3 GDP was revised upward by 0.1 to 4.4%, exceeding expectations of no change at 4.3% [4] - November personal spending increased by +0.5% month-over-month, aligning with expectations, while personal income rose by +0.3%, below the expected +0.4% [4] - The November core PCE price index rose by +0.2% month-over-month and +2.8% year-over-year, meeting expectations [4] Stock Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index closed up +0.55%, the Dow Jones closed up +0.63%, and the Nasdaq 100 closed up +0.76% [6] - The stock market rally was supported by President Trump's comments on Greenland and strength in chip makers and AI-infrastructure stocks [5][13] - 81% of the 38 S&P 500 companies that reported earnings have beaten expectations, with S&P earnings growth projected to rise by +8.4% in Q4 [7] Sector Movements - Chip makers and AI-infrastructure stocks saw significant gains, with Arista Networks up more than +8% and ARM Holdings up more than +5% [13] - The Magnificent Seven technology stocks also performed well, with Meta Platforms up more than +5% and Tesla up more than +4% [14] - Karman Holdings closed up more than +6% after a strong buy rating was reiterated, while Northern Trust reported Q4 net interest income above consensus [15] Bond Market - March 10-year T-notes closed down by -2 ticks, with the yield rising by +0.6 basis points to 4.249% [10] - European government bond yields increased, with the 10-year German bund yield rising by +0.5 basis points to 2.888% [12]

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]

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]

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] - 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 Mining Sector - Gold prices have increased by another 2% 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] - Mining stocks are rising as a result of soaring gold prices, with companies like Freeport McMoRan, Hecla Mining, Newmont Mining, Barrick Mining, and Coeur Mining seeing gains of more than +1% [17] Stock Market Overview - The S&P 500 Index is up +0.57%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index is up +0.632%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index is up +0.45%, indicating a recovery after a sharp sell-off [5] - Stocks are stabilizing following President Trump's announcement of seeking negotiations to acquire Greenland, which has alleviated some market fears [4] Mortgage Applications - US MBA mortgage applications rose by +14.1% in the week ended January 16, with the purchase mortgage sub-index increasing by +5.1% and the refinancing mortgage sub-index up by +20.4% [6] Earnings Season - The Q4 earnings season is showing positive results, with 88% of the 33 S&P 500 companies that have reported beating expectations, and S&P earnings growth is expected to rise by +8.4% in Q4 [8] Stock Movers - Chip makers are experiencing significant gains, with ARM Holdings up more than +7% after an upgrade, and other companies like Intel and AMD also seeing increases [16] - Progressive Software is up more than +17% after forecasting stronger-than-expected full-year adjusted EPS, while Nathan's Famous is up more than +9% following an acquisition agreement [19]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures are showing a modest rebound with S&P 500 futures up approximately 0.3-0.4% following a significant selloff on Tuesday where major indexes recorded steep declines [1][2] - The S&P 500 plunged 2.1% to 6,796.86, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 1.8% to 48,488.59, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.4% to 22,954.32, with technology stocks contributing significantly to the losses [2] Geopolitical and Economic Factors - Escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly surrounding President Trump's demands and tariff threats, are creating a risk-off sentiment among investors [3] - Gold prices have surged past $4,800, gaining between 1.7% and 2.2%, as investors seek safe-haven assets amid uncertainty [4] - The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield is around 4.29%, its highest since August, but has eased slightly to 4.28% after touching a five-month high [4] Corporate Earnings - A busy day for corporate earnings is expected, with major companies like Johnson & Johnson, Charles Schwab, and Prologis reporting their financial results [7] - Netflix's stock fell over 5% despite surpassing sales and earnings expectations for Q4 FY25, while it revised its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery to an all-cash offer [8][9] - In the technology sector, Nvidia and Apple saw declines of 4.4% and 3.5% respectively, while SanDisk's stock rose over 90% this month due to demand in the AI sector [10] Sector Highlights - HCL Technologies announced a strategic partnership with Carahsoft Technology Corp to enhance digital transformation initiatives in the U.S. public sector [11] - Crude oil prices are easing, with Brent crude futures down 1.2% to $64.16 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude falling 1% to $59.76 per barrel, influenced by expectations of rising U.S. crude inventories [12]

Market Overview - US stocks initially opened lower due to concerns about Federal Reserve independence amid attacks from the Trump administration, but later recovered with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 reaching new highs [2][4] - The S&P 500 Index closed up +0.16%, the Dow Jones closed up +0.17%, and the Nasdaq 100 closed up +0.08% [5] - European stocks also rose, with the Euro Stoxx 50 reaching an all-time high, and China's Shanghai Composite climbing to a 10.5-year high [3][8] Sector Performance - Data storage and chip makers led the market rally, with Western Digital up more than +6% and Seagate Technology up more than +5% [13] - Mining stocks surged as gold and silver prices hit all-time highs, with Hecla Mining up more than +8% and Coeur Mining up more than +5% [14] - Credit card companies and bank stocks declined after President Trump announced a potential cap on interest rates, with Synchrony Financial down more than -8% [15] Economic Indicators - The market is focused on upcoming economic news, including CPI and PPI data, with December CPI expected to remain at +2.7% year-over-year [6] - Q4 earnings season is set to begin, with S&P earnings growth projected to increase by +8.4%, excluding major tech stocks which are expected to grow by +4.6% [7] Interest Rates - The 10-year T-note yield rose to a one-month high of 4.205% amid concerns about Fed independence and rising inflation expectations [9][10] - European government bond yields fell, with the 10-year German bund yield down to 2.841% [12]

Economic Indicators - Weekly initial unemployment claims in the US are expected to decrease by 11,000 to 225,000 [1] - November CPI is projected to rise by 3.1% year-over-year, while core CPI is expected to increase by 3.0% year-over-year [1] - Existing home sales for November are anticipated to rise by 1.2% month-over-month to 4.15 million [1] - The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index for December is expected to be revised upward by 0.2 to 53.5 [1] Mortgage Applications - US MBA weekly mortgage applications fell by 3.8% for the week ending December 12, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down by 2.8% and refinancing down by 3.6% [2] - The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased by 5 basis points to 6.38% from 6.33% [2] Stock Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index closed down by 1.16%, the Dow Jones down by 0.47%, and the Nasdaq 100 down by 1.93% [6] - AI-infrastructure stocks and chip makers experienced significant sell-offs, with GE Vernova down over 10% and Constellation Energy down over 6% [13] - Cryptocurrency-exposed stocks also fell, with Bitcoin dropping over 2% [14] Energy Sector - Energy producers saw gains as WTI crude oil rose by more than 1%, with Devon Energy up over 5% and ConocoPhillips up over 4% [16] - Mining stocks increased due to heightened tensions in Venezuela, boosting demand for precious metals [4] International Markets - The Euro Stoxx 50 fell to a 2-week low, down by 0.63%, while China's Shanghai Composite rose by 1.19% [7] - Japan's Nikkei Stock 225 recovered, closing up by 0.26% [7] Bond Market - March 10-year T-notes fell by 0.5 of a tick, with the yield rising by 0.6 basis points to 4.151% [8] - T-notes found support from solid demand in a $13 billion auction of 20-year T-bonds, which had a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.67 [9] - The yield curve has steepened since the last FOMC meeting, indicating bearish sentiment for T-note prices [10] Earnings Reports - Companies reporting earnings include Accenture PLC, Birkenstock Holding Plc, CarMax Inc, Cintas Corp, Darden Restaurants Inc, FactSet Research Systems Inc, FedEx Corp, HEICO Corp, and NIKE Inc [21]