Stock Indexes Extend Gains on Eased Greenland Tensions; Dow Adds 400 Points; Gold Hits Fresh Record

The Fed’s Favorite Inflation Measure Stayed Hot in November

FROM 9 minutes ago

Keeping up with the bills got harder for many households in November and October, as income failed to keep up with price increases according to a new government report.

Prices as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index rose 2.8% for the year in November, up from a 2.7% annual increase in October, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Thursday. “Core” PCE, excluding the volatile prices for food and energy, rose by the same amount both months, equal to September’s levels.

Meanwhile, inflation-adjusted disposable income fell 0.1% in October and then increased 0.1% in November. The savings rate fell to 3.5% in November from 4% in September, hitting its lowest level since 2022.

The report showed a continuation of trends from earlier in the year, with inflation running hotter than the Federal Reserve’s target of a 2% annual rate and household income struggling to keep up with costs. The report covered a period when the federal government was shut down, which put extra financial stress on people with government jobs and may have distorted survey results.

Read the full article here.

–Diccon Hyatt

Car Wash Beats Google as Top Workplace in America—Here’s the Full List of Winners

FROM 24 minutes ago

Google has free meals, nap pods, and a nearly $4 trillion market cap. Crew Carwash has tuition reimbursement and locations in Indiana and Minnesota. And this year, the car wash won the title of America’s best place to work.

That’s according to Glassdoor, which just released its 18th annual “Best Places to Work” list. The top two spots went to Crew Carwash, a family-owned chain with 55 locations in the Midwest, and In-N-Out Burger, which beat out firms like Alphabet (GOOGL), Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), and Apple Inc (AAPL).

Both offer something rare in their industries: real career paths and benefits that rival white-collar jobs. In-N-Out creates pathways for workers to advance from cashier to corporate. Crew Carwash offers tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment, perks many would expect from Fortune 500 companies, not car washes.

“Many of the ‘Best Places to Work’ this year are blue-collar employers,” Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor’s chief economist, told Investopedia. “These companies stand out by offering a unique opportunity for workers in sectors that often don’t prioritize the employee experience.”

Read the full article here.

–Peter Gratton

Lemonade Stock Pops for Second Straight Day on Tesla FSD Insurance Offering

FROM 1 hr 21 min ago

Lemonade (LMND) stock soared for a second straight session Thursday on news it would be offering “Autonomous Car insurance, a first-of-its-kind product designed specifically for self-driving cars, starting with Tesla FSD,” referring to the EV maker’s Full-Service Driving software.

Shares of Lemonade, which says it “delivers AI-powered renters, pet, car, homeowners, and life insurance across the US and EU,” were 16% higher in early afternoon trading.

The company announced the news before the bell Wednesday, and shares closed up 9% in yesterday’s session.

The New York-based firm said “the launch is the result of a technical collaboration with Tesla, giving Lemonade access to vehicle data that was previously unavailable.”

Lemonade shares are up 38% since the start of the year.

Moderna Stock Soars for Second Straight Session on Skin Cancer Drug Results

FROM 1 hr 59 min ago

For a second straight day following promising trial results for a skin cancer treatment, Moderna (MRNA) stock is jumping.

Moderna shares surged 10% to rank among the biggest S&P 500 gainers Thursday, a day after they soared 16% to pace the benchmark index.

On Tuesday, the Cambridge, Mass.-based firm and Merck (MRK) announced median five-year follow-up data from the Phase 2b trial evaluating mRNA-based intismeran autogene in combination with Merck’s Keytruda in patients with high-risk melanoma following complete resection. 

The companies said the treatment combination “continued to demonstrate sustained and clinically meaningful improvement in the study’s primary endpoint, recurrence-free survival (RFS), reducing the risk of recurrence or death by 49%” versus Keytruda alone.

Moderna shares have skyrocketed 85% since the start of the year. Those of Merck were down more than 1% today but are up 4% since 2026 trading began.

Intel Stock’s Torrid Rally Is About to Face Its Latest Test. Here’s What You Need to Know

FROM 2 hr 34 min ago

Intel’s red-hot rally is about to face a big test.

The chipmaker is slated to report fourth-quarter results after the market closes today. The results are due after a strong run for the company’s stock in recent weeks that has seen Intel (INTC) add nearly half of its value since the year began. A show of support from President Donald Trump earlier this month, rumors about potential new clients, and some signs of stronger-than-expected demand for its AI products have all added to growing optimism around the stock.

The results could bring further action in Intel’s shares. Options pricing suggesting that traders expect shares could move up to 9% in either direction following the results.

Read the full article here.

–Aaron McDade

This Year Is Expected to Deliver an IPO ‘Supercycle.’ First Up: A Crypto Company

FROM 3 hr 8 min ago

This year is expected to be a big one for IPOs. A crypto company will kick things off today.

Crypto custodian BitGo last night priced its initial public offering at $18, implying a market capitalization of around $2 billion based on estimated total shares outstanding. The company is expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange later today using the ticker “BTGO.”

The upsized offering—shares priced above the indicated range—is an indicator of investor enthusiasm for new listings, and matches the initial buzz around last year’s crypto cohort. (Think companies like stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) and the Winklevoss brothers‘ exchange Gemini (GEMI).) That’s a good sign for the conga line of companies waiting to debut this year, which includes potential mega-IPOs from SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic—some eyeing valuations that would land them in the trillion-dollar club.

Read the full article here.

–Crystal Kim

Trump Says Congress Doesn’t Need to Approve Tariff Rebate Checks. Experts Disagree

FROM 3 hr 46 min ago

Tariff rebate checks are still in the works for many Americans, and it may not be that difficult to get them approved, according to President Donald Trump.

Trump said Tuesday he may not need congressional approval for the proposed tariff “dividend” checks. For months, Trump has promised a $2,000 check to families that meet an unspecified income threshold, funded by tariffs. Experts argue that only Congress has the power to spend the revenue.

“We will be able to make a very substantial dividend to the people of our country,” Trump said in a press conference. “I believe we can do that without Congress.”

However, experts have doubted whether Trump is correct in his assessments of the tariff rebate check process. 

“The president is wrong about who has the authority to spend tariff revenue (it is Congress, not him) and about how spending tariff revenue on rebate checks would affect the national debt (it would increase it),” Erica York, vice president at the Tax Foundation, wrote on X after Trump’s press conference.

Read the full article here.

–Terry Lane

GameStop Stock Rises as CEO Ryan Cohen Buys 500,000 Shares on Consecutive Days

FROM 4 hr 46 min ago

GameStop (GME) stock rose yesterday after a regulatory filing revealed CEO Ryan Cohen had acquired shares. The same dynamic is at play today.

Shares of the meme stock rose 3.5% in premarket trading Thursday, a day after they closed nearly 3% higher after a Securities and Exchange Commission filing indicated Cohen had bought 500,000 shares at $21.11 apiece on Tuesday.

A new filing indicated Cohen did the same thing yesterday, buying 500,000 shares at $21.60 each.

GameStop shares have lost more than 20% of their value over the past 12 months.

Trump Promised a 10% Interest Rate Cap on Credit Cards—What Happened to It?

FROM 5 hr 12 min ago

A deadline to lower credit card interest rates passed this week without action, despite President Donald Trump’s urging.

Earlier this month, Trump called for a 10% cap on credit card interest rates, effective Jan. 20 and lasting one year. As of Wednesday, there were no federal laws or executive orders imposing a cap on credit card interest rates. Additionally, no credit card companies have announced that they’re voluntarily reducing rates.

Now, Trump is calling on Congress to make his proposal a law.

Read the full article here.

–Trina Paul

Natural Gas Prices Soar 60% in Two Days As Cold Wave Grips U.S.—What That Means for You

FROM 5 hr 30 min ago

U.S. natural gas prices soared for a second straight day yesterday as brutal Arctic cold bears down on much of the country.

Fortunately for consumers, those higher prices won’t impact their heating bills right away.

Futures contracts based on benchmark Henry Hub natural gas surged 29% Wednesday. So far this holiday-shortened week, U.S. natural gas prices have risen about 60%, the biggest two-day gain on record.

Almost half of American households use natural gas as their primary heating source. This week’s price rally reflects expected high demand for the fuel as sub-freezing temperatures loom to the end of January in a good portion of the U.S.

Read the full article here.

–Lyle Niedens

Intel Rallies Ahead of Earnings. Here’s What Analysts Are Saying That’s Boosting the Stock

FROM 5 hr 43 min ago

Intel’s stock has been on a tear lately, as expectations grow ahead of the chipmaker’s quarterly results due after the closing bell Thursday.

The shares jumped nearly 12% yesterday amid a broad market rally to close above $54 Wednesday, extending the stock’s recent gains as several Wall Street analysts pointed to signs of better-than-expected demand for the company’s AI products.

HSBC, KeyBanc, and Wedbush told clients this week that they see Intel’s (INTC) outlook and results beating consensus projections, driven by stronger-than-expected sales of its server CPUs used in data centers.

KeyBanc also voiced more optimism about Intel’s ability to win Apple (AAPL) as a foundry customer, after months of rumors that the iPhone maker could become a new client.

Read the full article here.

–Aaron McDade

McCormick Stock Drops After Soft Full-Year Profit Forecast

FROM 5 hr 58 min ago

McCormick & Co.’s full-year profit forecast evidently wasn’t spicy enough for investors.

McCormick (MKC) shares sank 6% in premarket trading after the spice maker issued a soft fiscal 2026 profit projection.

The Hunt Valley, Md.-based company sees adjusted earnings of $3.05 to $3.13 per share. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for $3.22 per share.

For the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter, McCormick’s adjusted EPS of $0.86 narrowly missed estimates, while its net sales of $1.85 billion slightly topped consensus.

“While global trade dynamics continue to create headwinds and we are facing elevated costs for the year, we are leveraging our competitive advantages, productivity initiatives, and cost management discipline to help mitigate these pressures, sustain volume growth, and fund investments that drive long-term value creation,” CEO Brendan Foley said.

McCormick shares have lost about 10% of their value over the past year entering today.

Wall Street Is Down on Software Stocks. This Expert Says That’s ‘Absolutely Wrong’

FROM 6 hr 43 min ago

Anxious software investors worry that artificial intelligence is disrupting the multi-trillion dollar industry. One veteran tech investor says those concerns are misplaced.

Orlando Bravo, founder and managing partner of tech-focused private equity firm Thoma Bravo, on Wednesday called the narrative that AI is going to eat software “absolutely wrong,” in an interview with CNBC. The reason: They know what the companies and industries they serve need to succeed—and are still positioned to deliver it.

“The franchise value of most software companies is [their] deep domain knowledge,” Bravo said. That, he said, situates software companies at the intersection of AI capabilities and enterprise needs. 

“If you want to see wide adoption in the enterprise of AI, these are the companies that will do it,” Bravo said. “These are the companies that hold the key.

Read the full article here.

–Colin Laidley

Stock Futures Point to Higher Open After Indexes Rebound on Eased Tensions Over Greenland

FROM 7 hr 3 min ago

Futures contracts connected to the Dow Jones Industrial Average pointed up 0.4%.

S&P 500 futures rose 0.6%.

Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.9%.