Stocks closed sharply higher Friday, send🐭ing t🍃he S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average to their biggest weekly gains since the week of the November presidential election.
The Dow and S&P 500 rose 0.8% and 1%, respectively, while the Nasdaq Composite added 1.5%. The major indexes posted weekly gains for the first time in three weeks, as market participants prepare for the inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday, when the stock market will be closed to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Large-cap tech stocks recovered from steep losses yesterday and finished higher across the board on Friday. AI investor favorite Nvidia (NVDA) and EV maker Tesla (TSLA) both advanced 3.1%, while Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN) and Meta Platforms (META) also gained ground.
Intel (INTC) jumped 9.3%, leading S&P 500 advancers, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:amid rumors the beleaguered could be a takeover target. Other chip stocks, including Marvell Technology (MRVL) and Broadcom (AVGO), also posted big gains.
Crypto-related stocks surged Friday as bitcoin jumped as high as $105,900, its highest level in a month, as investor hopes run high that the digital currency will benefit from favorable policies when Trump takes office. Shares of MicroStrategy (MSTR), a software maker that has become one of the world's largest holders of bitcoin, gained 8%, while crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN) and bitcoin miner MARA Holdings (MARA) rose 4.9% and 8.8%, respectively.
Financial services stocks were also in focus today after several regional banks released quarterly results. Shares of Truist Financial (TFC) closed 5.9% higher, while Citizens Financial (CFG) and Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) each rose more than 1%. Regions Financial (RF) fell 1.4%.
The economic data calendar was light on🐎 Friday. Earlier this week, better-than-expected inflation data revived investor hopes that the Federal Reserve will be in a position to cut interest rates again. The encouraging report on consumer prices sent Treasury yields sharply lower a𓄧nd gave stocks a big boost.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell as low as 4.57% early this morning, its lowest level in two weeks. The yield, which is correlated with interest rate expectations, was at 4.62% late Friday, up slightly from yesterday's close.
Gold futures were down 0🀅.4% at around $2,740 an ounce, while WTI crude o✅il futures fell 0.8%.
Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Friday
Advancers
- Intel (INTC) shares surged 9.3%, notching the S&P 500's best performance, amid reports that the semiconductor giant 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:could be a takeover target. Friday's push higher extended gains posted by Intel stock earlier in the week after the chipmaker said it would transition its venture fund into a stand-alone entity, with the company remaining an investor. Intel's interim CEO said the move would help the company boost efficiency and maximize the value of its assets.
- SLB (SLB), the world's largest oilfield services company, reported better-than-expected profits for the fourth quarter, increased its dividend, and stepped up its share repurchases. Although SLB struck a cautious tone for 2025, indicating that year-over-year revenue growth would be limited as high oil supply levels restrain oilfield activities, its shares jumped 6.1% in the wake of the strong earnings report.
- Shares of Truist Financial (TFC) gained 5.9% after the bank holding company topped quarterly sales and profit estimates. Net interest income and non-interest income moved higher from their year-ago levels, helping drive the strong results. An increase in average deposit balances also contributed to Truist's performance, which came despite a downturn in average loan balances.
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Logan Cyrus / Bloomberg / Getty Images
Decliners
- Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) suffered the steepest drop of any S&P 500 stock on Friday, tumbling 7.4% after the shipping firm's fourth-quarter sales and profits 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:fell short of expectations. Slumping volumes weighed on performance, and the company reported revenue declines across all of its segments. J.B. Hunt's CEO said that the company remains focused on repairing its margins as it navigates freight-industry headwinds.
- Eli Lilly (LLY) shares fell 4.2%, extending losses posted earlier this week after the pharmaceutical giant cut its sales guidance. Friday's move lower came as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it had selected the popular weight-loss and diabetes treatments made by Novo Nordisk (NVO) for potential price negotiations, raising concerns that similar products from Lilly could also come under Medicare scrutiny. Novo Nordisk's U.S.-listed American Depository Receipts sank 5.3%.
- Shares of Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO), the analytics software firm known for its FICO credit scores, sank 3.5%, giving back gains posted earlier in the week after Jefferies boosted its price target on the stock. Analysts pointed increased expectations for the company's business-to-business volumes, but slower mortgage originations in the high interest rate environment remain a concern.
Biden vs. Trump—Who Had the Better Stock Market?
Stocks roꦕse on Friday, capping off a strong run for markets under President Joe Biden and putting equities near record highs ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
The S&P 500 rose 58% since Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. The S&P 500’s performance during Biden’s presidency fell short of its nearly 70% return (excluding dividends) during Trump’s first term. It also falls short of the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:more than 80% return registered in Obama’s first term, wh🐼en stocks rebounded from the bear market of the Great Recession.
Similarly, Biden’s presidency was a good time for the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average, but not quite as good as Trump’s first term and Obama’s two terms. The Dow advanced more than 56% under Trump and rose almost 150% under Obama. However, Biden’s time in the White House was far better for Wall Street than George W. Bush’s tenure between 2001 and 2009 when the Dow lost about𝔍 a quarter of its value.
Read the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:full article here.
Qorvo Soars as Starboard Value Takes Stake
Qorvo (QRVO) shares jumped 14% Friday after hedge fund Starboard Value made🦩 a significant investment in the maker of radio frequenc♉y and power semiconductors.
In a regulatory filin💎g, Qorvo report🐟ed Starboard held 7.29 million shares of the company, a 7.7% stake. At Thursday’s closing price of $73.59, the ownership was valued at about $536 million.
Qorvo has struggled of late. In October, shares plunged 25% to their lowest level since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when the firm posted a surprising quarterl💝y loss and warned it faced a continued business slowdown.
At the time, CFO Grant Brown explained that cha👍nging consumer 🅠cellphone buying habits reduced demand. Brown added that the company was "taking appropriate actions, including factory consolidation and operating expense reductions as well as focusing on opportunities that align with our long-term profitability objectives."
Even with today's advance, shares of Qorvo are down 16% in the past year.
Major Indexes Break Two-Week Losing Streaks
The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite all finished solidly higher for the week, the fi🥂rst time in three weeks that the major indexes posted gains.
The Dow and S&P 500 rose 3.7% and 2.9%, respectively this week, their best weekly performances since the week of Nov. 4, when Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:sent stocks soaring. The Nasdaq added 2.4% this week, its best performance s𒊎ince the first week of December.
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So far in 2025, the Dow has gained 2.2%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have added 2% and 1.7%, respectively.
Meta, YouTube and Others That Could Benefit From TikTok Ban
With a TikTok ban potentially 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:taking effe🎐ct in the U.S. on Sunday, analysts at Morgan Stanley said other social media platforms could compete for the roughly $10 billion in ad revenue and 32 billion hours users spend on♍ the app each year.
Morgan Stanley analysts suggested ahead of the decision that Meta (META) could be the “largest fundamental winner” if the ban takes effect Sunday, given its large us♛er base and dataset on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
They added that for every 10% of U.S. user time currently spent on TikTok that Meta can capture, it could add 30 cents to 60 cents to the company’s estimated roughly $30 in 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share in 2026.
“Said another way, META’s ability to capture half of [TikTok]’s time would likely add $1 to $3 to o𝄹ur ‘26 EPS,” the analysts added, noting the biggest gains could come from Instagram Reels, which offers similar short-form video content.
Alphabet's (GOOGL) You♏Tube, particularly YouTube Shorts, could also see increased engagement after a TikTok shutdown in the U.S., Morgan Stanley said.
However, Morgan Stanley noted Shorts monetizes at half the rate of typical YouTube content, meaning the same 10% time share gain might only add a🍸 1% to 2% increase in YouTube ad revenue. That could mean even if YouTube gained a 50% share and Shorts monetized at the standard YouTube rate, ad revenue for its owner Alphabet would increase just 1.2% in 2026, the firm said.
Social media companies Snapchat (SNAP) and Pinterest (PINS), as well as online gaming entity Roblox (RBLX), could also contend for a piece of the ad revenue pie, Morgan Stanl⛎ey said. However, the analysts warned the companies might need to prove performance, scalab𒈔ility, and returns on ad spending.
Reddit (RDDT) and Applovin (APP) were among those that could see long-term benefits as well, Morgan Stanley added, noti💖ng improving engagement on their platforms.
How Investors Are Preparing for Trump's Return to White House
Stocks on Friday were on track to have their best week since early November as investors bid up equities after this week's reassuring inflation data and ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration next week.
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Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Cryptocurrencies, Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT), and Tesla (TSLA) have all charged higher this week in anticipation of Trump's first week back in 🐻the White House.
Hꦦowever, Wall Street and individual investors are showing some signs of caution and could be preparing for volatility to jump nꦅext week as Trump issues a flurry of executive orders.
Read the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:full article here.
Crypto Stocks Surge as Bitcoin Jumps Ahead of Inauguration
Bitcoin-associated stocks jumped Friday after the crꦫyptocurrency’s price climbed above $105,000.
Shares of MicroStrategy (MSTR), the largest corporate holder of bitcoin, were up 7% in recent trading. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase's (COIN) stock rose around 5%. Bitcoin miners Riot Platforms (RIOT) and Mara Holdings (MARA) climbed 5% and 13%, respectively.
Bitcoin has been on a tear lately, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:surging nearly 50% s꧋ince Donald Trump’s election victory partly on optimism that the incoming administration will be more favorable to crypto. The cryptocurrency hit an all-time high above $108,000 last month.
In December, Trump tapped 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Paul Atkins to lead the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Securities and Exchange Commission. Atkins, a former SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush, has worked recently on digital assets and is set to replace 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Gary Gensler, who is seen by many as a crypto critic.
Trump ♑will also likely have the opportunity to r🔯eplace several SEC commissioners whose terms are set to expire during his administration.
Intel Shares Surge to Lead S&P 500 Gainers
Intel shareholders would probably rather 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:forget 2024. This year is off to a better start.
澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Shares of the chipmaker were up 9% in recent trading to lead S&P 500 advancers, leaving them up nearly 7% in January, outpacing the S&P 500. That doesn’t change what’s in the rear-view mirror—Intel (INTC) is still off more than 50%🗹 over the past 12 months—but the signs of life are notable nonetheless.
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What investors may be buying into are signs of change in the wake of the retirement of CEO Pat Gelsinger 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:late last year. One such development, which🐈 helped lift the stock this week: news that the company plans to make its venture fund🅷 a stand-alone entity, with the company remaining an investor.
Meanwhile, news services circulated a report from a tech newsletter indicating that Intel might be a takeover target. A sale of Intel, currently valued around $84 billion per Visible Alpha, would be a huge deal, but 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:similar narratives have driven intereꦓst 𓆏in the stock in recent months.
Intel is slated to report its latest q♉uarterly financial results later this month, and🍌 investors will surely be watching that announcement and the conference call that follows for clues about how else management might seek to execute that plan.
Wall Street analysts are in wait-and-see mode for now. Visible Alpha d💯oesn’t track a single one with a “buy” rating on the shares—it mostly logs “hold” ratings, with a few “sell” labels—though the share-price rise implied by the 🦄mean price target is more than 20% from recent levels.
J.B. Hunt Stock Sinks Amid 'Challenging Freight Environment'
Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) tumbled🥃 Friday, a day after the big shipping firm reported a drop in sales as volumes fell.
The company reported fourth-quarter revenue tumbled 5% year-over-year to $3.15 billion, with 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share (EPS) of $1.53. Both were short of Visib💞le🧸 Alpha estimates.
All its divisions posted sales losses. Intermodal r🦄evenue was down 2% to $1.60 billion on changes in mix of freight, customer rates, and fuel surcharge revenue. It slid 5% to $839 million at its Dedicated Contract Services unit because of lower average truck revenue. The Integrated Capacity Solutions division revenue dipped 15% to $308 million as volume sank 22%. Sales were lower at Final Mile Services (-6%) and Truckload (-7%) segments as well.
CEO Shelley Simpson said 2024 "was a continuation of the challenging freight environment," according to a transcript of the earnings call provided by AlphaSense. Simpson added that the company is focused on "a path to repair and improve our financial performance," and that while market dynamics "remain uncertain around the timing and magnitude of a potential inflection, our focus in 2025 is to grow and begin to repair our margins."
J.B. Hunt shareꦜs were d༒own 7% in recent trading and have lost about 10% in the past year.
Apple Stock Levels to Watch After Yesterday's Big Decline
Apple shares gained ground in early trading Friday after suffering their worst one-day decline since August yesterday, following news that the tech giant lost its coveted position as China’s largest smartphone seller last🦩 year.
The stock has lost 8% of its value 𓄧so ✃far this year, after rising 30% in 2024. Apple shares were up 1% at around $230.50 in recent trading.
Since an 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:evening star pattern marked the stock’s 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:all-time high (ATH) last month, Apple shares have trended sharply lower. Selling pressure intensified on Thursday, with the price falling decisively below the lower trendline of an 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:ascending triangle, raising th📖e possibility of a significant breakdown.
It’s also worth pointing out that the stock recorded its highest volume yesterday since December’s 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:triple witching trading session, indicating that l🧔arger market players participated in the sell-off.
Investors should watch key support levels on Apple's chart around $218 and $207, while also monitoring important resistance levels near $235 and $250.
Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:technical analysis piece here.
Fastenal Shares Slip After Results Miss Expectations
Shares of Fastenal (FAST) s༒tumbled in early trading Friday after the industrial parts company's fourth-quarter results came in short of what analysts had expected.
Fastenal reported $262.1 million in net income, or $0.46 per share, on $1.82 billion in sales, all below analysts' consensus estimates compiled by Visible Alpha.
Sales rose🤡 3.7% year-over-year, but stripping out an extra selling day compared with 2023, net daily sales increased 2.1%. Profit declined 1.6%.
Fastenal said its sales growth was slow due to a "continuation of the soft manufacturing environment" present for much of 2024. Sales also were affected by more customers performing "unusually sharp production cuts" in late December as factories closed for the holidays, and foreign exchange rates having a negative impact compared with a positive one the prior year.
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Fastenal shares were down 2% in rec꧑ent trading. The stock has gained 15% over the past year, significantly lagging the performance of the S&P 500 over the period.
UnitedHealth Levels to Watch Amid Post-Earnings Slump
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares were down slightly in premarket trading Friday after falling sharply yesterday, when the health insurer reported f🦋ourth-quarter results below Wall Street’s expectations and isℱsued a lackluster outlook amid higher medical costs.
UnitedHealth shares were the biggest decliners on the S&P 500 on Thursday, falling 6% to $510.59. The stock, which is down nearly 20% from its record high set in November, is virtually unchanged from a year ago, while the S&P 500 has g🥃ained 25% in the last 12 months.
After rallying from their mid-December low, UnitedHealth shares ran into selling pressure near the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:200-day moving average, with Thursday’s drop fol꧟lowing several f✤ailed attempts by the bulls to close above the closely watched indicator.
Moreover, Thursday’s selling occurred on the highest 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:trading volume since the stock’s sharp move𝕴 lower last month, ope♔ning the door for further downside.
Investors should watch key support levels on UnitedHealth's chart around $475 and $436, while also monitoring important overhead areas near $550 and $605.
Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:technical analysis piece here.
Futures Point to Higher Open for Major Indexes
Futures 🍷tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.5%.
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S&P 500 futures were up 0.6%.
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Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.8%.
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