AI Stocks Pick Up Steam—and the Nasdaq Tests Records—Ahead of Big Tech Earnings
Key Takeaways
- The Nasdaq Composite approached a fresh record high Wednesday as semiconductor stocks rallied following strong results from chip manufacturing equipment supplier ASML Holdings.
- The Nasdaq last closed at a record in late October, right before Big Tech earnings reports fueled debate on Wall Street about an AI bubble.
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Read MoreBig Tech Earnings Live: Meta and Tesla Shares Surge on Strong Results; Microsoft Drops Despite Beating Estimates
January 28, 2026 05:34 PM EST
Backlog Concentration, Cloud Growth Weigh on Microsoft
FROM 54 minutes ago
Jefferies analyst Brent Thill said the decline in Microsoft stock is likely due to Azure’s cloud platform revenue growth slowing and coming close to just in line with estimates,
US Fed holds interest rates and defends independence
Two Fed officials voted in favour of an interest rate cut – Stephen Miran, who is on leave from his post at the White House where he leads Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, and Christopher Waller, a Trump appointee whose name has been floated as contender to succeed Powell.
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Read MoreSocial Security Makes Big Change That Could Disrupt Service for Millions
© Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels and JJ Gouin from Getty Images
There are millions of Americans today who rely heavily on Social Security to make ends meet. And it’s not just seniors who get benefits from the program. As such, you’d think the Social Security Administration (SSA) would be adding to its staff.
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Read MoreElon Musk's $20 billion spending plan signals 'Tesla of yesterday is gone'
The Burst
Forget Tesla, This EV Stock Just Got a Billion-Dollar Lifeline
If you’ve spent any time watching the electric vehicle space, chances are you’ve already dug into Tesla. But as Tesla enters its next phase of maturity, investors with an eye for disruption might want to turn their attention to a different name, one that’s flying under the radar but could be setting up for a breakout.
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Read MoreThe Ivy
Buffett’s $19 Billion Oil Bet Looks Like a Fortress
It’s the rare oil major that seems built to outlast cycles, keep the dividend flowing, and, as Warren Buffett clearly believes, keep getting stronger.
The yield is about 4.4%, nearly four times what the S&P 500 pays and on paper that looks tempting, but high yields in energy can be a trap. The difference here is Chevron’s payout isn’t balanced on a knife’s edge.
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Read MoreThe Spotlight
When Will Walmart Join The Trillion Dollar Club?
At today’s $673 billion valuation, Walmart’s metrics track remarkably close to Microsoft’s pre-trillion phase, though through a distinctly retail-centric lens.
Where Microsoft achieved its milestone through software margins expanding from 28% to 35% over five years, Walmart charts its course through scale economics and business mix evolution, as evidenced by its operating margin expansion from 4.6% to 4.7% year-over-year.
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