Gold prices resumed their upward trajectory Friday, shaking off a volatile session as threats to global stability and expectations of a dovish Federal Reserve pivot continue to drive the historic surge in bullion.
U.S. stocks advanced cautiously Monday as investors braced for a wave of corporate earnings reports, while crude oil prices tumbled sharply. The focus remains on key tech results and evolving geopolitical developments affecting global trade and energy markets.
A sharp supply crunch is driving contract prices for mainstream DRAM memory chips up by as much as 95% quarter-on-quarter in early 2025, according to a revised forecast from market analyst TrendForce.
In a major strategic shift, uranium-focused Energy Fuels announces a deal to acquire Australian Strategic Materials, aiming to create a vertically integrated rare earths producer outside China. The move comes as the company's stock, already on a meteoric rise, faces new questions about its growth trajectory and valuation.
As crude prices spike on Middle East tensions, fears of reignited inflation and subsequent Fed action cast a shadow over risk assets, with Bitcoin failing to capitalize on its perceived 'safe-haven' narrative.
Wells Fargo updates its long-term valuation for American Electric Power (AEP), raising its price target to $140, as the utility secures a major fuel cell investment and a 20-year power purchase agreement for a new Wyoming facility.
Sugar futures tumbled further this week, with New York prices hitting a 2.5-month low and London white sugar sinking to a five-year trough, as analysts warn of swelling global surpluses driven by record harvests in Brazil and India.
New data reveals tariffs imposed on key materials like steel and aluminum pushed nonresidential construction costs up 3.2% in 2025, with economists warning of continued pressure and broader impacts on equipment prices in the year ahead.
U.S. producer prices rose more than expected in December, driven by the largest increase in service costs in months, complicating the inflation outlook as the Federal Reserve weighs its next policy move.
Producer prices rose 0.5% last month, exceeding forecasts and marking the quickest pace in three months, as a sharp jump in services costs offset stable goods prices, signaling persistent inflationary pressures in the pipeline.
Axos Financial's recent acquisition of Verdant Commercial Capital and its deepening investment in artificial intelligence are translating into tangible financial gains, with robust loan growth and surging share prices highlighting the digital bank's evolving strategy.
Microsoft posts record cloud and AI-driven revenue for Q2, fueled by new partnerships and its custom AI chip. However, a significant surge in capital expenditures for AI infrastructure and a slight deceleration in Azure growth triggered the stock's worst single-day drop since 2020, testing investor resolve on the long-term payoff.
Bloom Energy's stock surged after American Electric Power's subsidiary locked in a massive 20-year fuel cell agreement, a move analysts say validates the company's technology for critical infrastructure like AI data centers and signals a pivotal shift in its growth narrative.
Sugar futures extended their sharp decline this week, with London white sugar hitting a five-year low, as robust harvests from Brazil and India signal a prolonged period of ample global supplies.
Despite OPEC+ maintaining production cuts, crude benchmarks fell sharply on Monday, pulling energy stocks like ConocoPhillips down with them as immediate fears of a supply disruption in the Persian Gulf subsided.
Shoppers are bracing for another wave of price increases as new import taxes take effect, targeting a range of everyday items from spirits to seafood. Experts warn the hikes will squeeze household budgets and force tough choices at the supermarket.
Crude oil benchmarks plunged over 7%, with Brent near $66 and WTI around $62, as President Trump's comments eased fears of a U.S.-Iran conflict and a sell-off in metals markets spilled over. Analysts suggest the drop reflects a rapid unwinding of risk premiums rather than a fundamental change in supply dynamics.
The Kospi index plunged over 5% in its sharpest drop since April, halting program trading and dragging down chip giants Samsung and SK Hynix. The selloff, fueled by global risk-off sentiment and doubts over AI spending, tests the resilience of one of the world's hottest equity markets.
Crude futures retreated sharply on Monday after weekend comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggested diplomatic engagement with Iran, easing fears of a military confrontation that had recently buoyed markets.
Lantronix's new partnership to develop edge AI threat detection systems for drones has spotlighted the stock, but analysts are divided on whether its current valuation fully prices in the risks and opportunities of the nascent defense tech market.
