Recession Odds Jump on Kalshi After Oil Tops $100
Prediction‑market platform Kalshi saw recession odds climb above 34% on Monday, the highest level since November, after U.S. crude oil breached the $100 per barrel threshold. The surge in oil prices follows recent Middle‑Eastern output cuts and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened U.S.–Iran tensions. Kalshi participants also forecast a 60% chance gas prices will top $4 per gallon, while a separate market puts an 11% probability the recession begins in Q1 2026. Analysts warn these dynamics could pressure consumer spending and equity markets.
GOP Whip Tom Emmer Predicts Oil Prices Will Drop After Iran War
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told CNBC that oil prices, which surged above $100 per barrel after Middle Eastern production cuts tied to the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran, will "tumble" once the operation concludes. President Donald Trump echoed the short‑term...
Okta Beats Fourth-Quarter Estimates, but Issues Weak Guidance
Okta reported fourth‑quarter 2026 earnings that topped Wall Street forecasts, posting adjusted EPS of $0.90 and revenue of $761 million, an 11% year‑over‑year increase. Despite the beat, the company issued a cautious first‑quarter outlook, projecting revenue of $749‑$753 million and adjusted EPS...
Democrats Counter Trump's Proposal to Limit Institutional Housing Investors
Democratic senators led by Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that strips tax deductions and mortgage‑interest benefits from corporations owning more than 50 single‑family rental homes, while the Trump administration issued a memo banning institutional investors with over 100 such homes...
Uber Acquiring Parking App SpotHero as It Moves Beyond Ride-Hailing and Food Delivery
Uber announced it will acquire parking‑reservation platform SpotHero for an undisclosed amount, integrating the service into the Uber app for events, venues and airports. SpotHero currently lists more than 13,000 garages and lots in over 400 U.S. and Canadian cities....
Top Wall Street Analysts Are Bullish on the Growth Potential of These Three Stocks
Wall Street’s top analysts are bullish on three AI‑adjacent stocks—Datadog, Vertiv Holdings, and Arista Networks—each receiving a fresh buy rating and higher price target. Datadog’s Baird analyst set a $180 target, citing a 25%+ operating margin and a large, untapped...
Supreme Court Trump Tariff Decision Impact: What to Expect as Fight for Billions in Refunds Begins
The U.S. Supreme Court declared President Trump’s IEEPA‑based tariffs illegal, opening the door to massive refund claims. Estimates suggest importers could seek as much as $175 billion in reimbursements, though the Court did not specify how refunds will be administered. Treasury,...
Jim Cramer's Top 10 Things to Watch in the Stock Market Friday
Jim Cramer highlighted ten market catalysts for Friday, Feb 20, ranging from macro data to individual stocks. Weak Q4 GDP growth at 1.4% pushed futures lower, while Texas Roadhouse rallied over 3% on a strong Q1 outlook. GE Aerospace received a...
Arm Shares Edge Higher in Premarket as Nvidia Shakes up Its AI Bets
Nvidia disclosed it sold its 1.1 million‑share, $155.8 million stake in Arm, prompting the British chip designer’s shares to climb 1.4% in pre‑market trading. The divestiture follows Nvidia’s aborted $40 billion takeover bid and a history of strategic investment alongside Apple, Google and...
Berkshire Hathaway Trims Apple Stake, Buys NYTimes Stock in Buffett's Last Moves as CEO
Berkshire Hathaway reduced its Apple position by 4.3%, bringing the holding to $61.96 billion, yet Apple remains the conglomerate’s top equity. The firm also disclosed a new $351.7 million stake in The New York Times, expanding its media exposure. These moves were filed in...
Silver Miners Fall in Premarket Trading as the Metal Drops 2%
Silver prices slipped 2% to about $74.85 an ounce, pulling spot gold down over 1% as investors awaited delayed economic data. Silver futures dropped another 4% to $74.70, after a 30% plunge in January that marked the worst day since...
Software Maker Dassault Systèmes Falls 8% as AI Fears Persist; Europe Markets Edge Higher
European markets edged higher after the Munich Security Conference, but software giant Dassault Systèmes slumped 8% as lingering AI skepticism dampened investor sentiment. The conference underscored Europe’s push for greater defense spending and strategic autonomy, lifting defense‑related equities. Meanwhile, NatWest kicked...
Moderna Says FDA Refuses to Review Its Application for Experimental Flu Shot
Moderna announced that the FDA will not begin a review of its experimental mRNA‑1010 flu vaccine, citing concerns over the trial's comparator design rather than safety or efficacy. The decision triggered a roughly 7% drop in Moderna’s after‑hours share price....
Ford Reports Worst Quarterly Earnings Miss in Four Years, Guides for Better 2026
Ford is expected to post its worst quarterly earnings miss in four years, with adjusted EPS forecast at 19 cents and automotive revenue projected at $41.8 billion, a 6.8% decline YoY. The earnings drop represents more than a 50% fall in...
Lyft Stock Falls 15% on Disappointing Fourth-Quarter Results, Rider Numbers
Lyft reported fourth‑quarter revenue of $1.59 billion, missing the $1.76 billion consensus, and saw active riders and total rides fall short of estimates. The miss triggered a 15% plunge in the stock during extended trading. The board approved an additional $1 billion share‑repurchase...
Estée Lauder Sues Walmart Alleging 'Despicable' Sale of Counterfeit Beauty Products
Estée Lauder has filed a federal lawsuit against Walmart, alleging that the retailer’s online marketplace allowed counterfeit versions of its La Mer, Le Labo, Clinique, Aveda and Tom Ford products to be sold. The beauty giant says it purchased and tested several items that...
Bitcoin Plunge: Bitwise CIO Cites 'the Four-Year Cycle' As No. 1 Reason for Losses
Bitcoin fell below $61,000, its lowest level in about 16 months, prompting Bitwise Asset Management’s CIO Matt Hougan to point to the market’s four‑year cycle as the primary driver of the decline. He noted that investors are also rotating into...
Our DuPont Thesis Is Working According to Plan. We're Raising Our Price Target
A solid first outing for the new DuPont, which on Nov. 1 spun off its electronics business.
EPA Will Revoke 'Endangerment Finding' That Underpins All Climate Regulation This Week
The EPA announced plans to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding that declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health, a cornerstone of U.S. climate regulation. The move, submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, represents the Trump administration’s most...
Credit Card Debt Tops $1.28 Trillion — Consistent with ‘K-Shaped’ Economic Divide, New York Fed Research Shows
Americans collectively owe $1.28 trillion on credit cards, according to a new New York Federal Reserve report. The surge reflects a K‑shaped economic recovery, with debt expanding primarily among lower‑income households while wealthier consumers trim balances. Year‑over‑year credit‑card balances rose faster...
Coca-Cola Forecasts Modest Growth Amid Demand Concerns
Coca‑Cola projects 2026 organic revenue growth of 4%‑5% and comparable earnings per share growth of 7%‑8%, despite a modest decline in overall beverage demand. Quarterly results showed adjusted earnings of 58 cents per share and net sales of $11.82 billion, slightly...
Disappointing Holiday Season: December Retail Sales Were Flat, Falling Well Short of Estimate
December retail sales were flat month‑over‑month, missing the 0.4% gain economists expected after a 0.6% rise in November. Year‑over‑year sales rose 2.4%, trailing the 2.7% inflation rate, indicating real spending erosion. The slowdown was driven by harsh weather, lingering tariff...
CVS Tops Quarterly Estimates, Reaffirms Profit Outlook as Turnaround Plan Takes Effect
CVS Health posted fourth‑quarter earnings that beat expectations, with adjusted EPS $1.09 versus the $0.99 forecast and revenue $105.69 billion versus $103.59 billion expected. The company reaffirmed its 2026 profit guidance of $7‑$7.20 per share and a revenue target of at least...
Michael Saylor Downplays Strategy Credit Risk as Bitcoin Tumbles: 'We'll Refinance the Debt'
Strategy Investment, led by Michael Saylor, holds 714,644 bitcoins valued at roughly $49 billion, making it the largest corporate Bitcoin owner. Despite Bitcoin’s recent 15% slide to $60,000, Saylor dismissed credit‑risk concerns, saying the firm will refinance its $8 billion debt and...
How Affordability Led to a Chasm Between Stock Prices, Consumer Optimism
U.S. stock indices have surged while consumer sentiment has plunged to near‑record lows since 2022, breaking a 25‑year correlation between market performance and household confidence. Economists attribute the split to worsening affordability, with consumer prices up 26% since 2019 and...
Tesla Exec Raj Jegannathan Leaves Automaker After 13 Years
Tesla Vice President Raj Jegannathan announced his departure after a 13‑year tenure, most recently overseeing IT, AI infrastructure, business applications, and information security. He previously led North American sales following the dismissal of Troy Jones, a period marked by declining...