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Microsoft Corp. engages in the development and support of software, services, devices, and solutions. It operates through the following segments: Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing. The Productivity and Business Processes segment is composed of products and services relating to productivity, communication, and information services such as Office Commercial, Office Consumer, LinkedIn, and Dynamics business solutions. The Intelligent Cloud segment consists of public, private, and hybrid server products and cloud services for businesses and developers, as well as enterprise and partner services. The More Personal Computing segment refers to products and services including Windows operating system, Windows cloud services, Surface, HoloLens, personal computer accessories, Xbox hardware, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft News, and Microsoft Edge. The company was founded by Paul Gardner Allen and William Henry Gates, III in 1975 and is headquartered in Redmond, WA.

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corp

Microsoft is trending following a notable post-earnings decline, as market apprehension mounts over substantial AI infrastructure investments and slightly moderating Azure cloud growth, sparking debate among investors between a compelling buying opportunity and concerns regarding AI's immediate return on investment.

Palantir Technologies, Inc. engages in the business of building and deploying software platforms that serve as the central operating systems for its customers. It operates through the Commercial and Government segments. The Commercial segment focuses on customers working in non-government industries. The Government segment is involved in providing services to customers that are the United States government and non-United States government agencies. Its platforms are widely used in areas such as defense, intelligence, healthcare, energy, and financial services, supporting data integration, large-scale analytics, and operational decision-making. The company was founded by Alexander Ceadmon Karp, Peter Andreas Thiel, Stephen Cohen, Joseph Lonsdale, and Nathan Dale Gettings in 2003 and is headquartered in Denver, CO.

Palantir Technologies Inc - Ordinary Shares - Class A

Palantir Technologies Inc

Palantir is currently a focal point for investors, driven by anticipation for its upcoming earnings report, as the community debates whether recent price drops are an opportunity to accumulate shares ahead of expected strong commercial and government contract growth, or a reflection of persistent concerns over its valuation, employee departures, and controversial government partnerships.

Ripple is the catchall name for the cryptocurrency platform, the transactional protocol for which is actually XRP, in the same fashion as Ethereum is the name for the platform that facilitates trades in Ether. Like other cryptocurrencies, Ripple is built atop the idea of a distributed ledger network which requires various parties to participate in validating transactions, rather than any singular centralized authority. That facilitates transactions all over the world, and transfer fees are far cheaper than the likes of bitcoin. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, XRP transfers are effectively immediate, requiring no typical confirmation time.  Ripple was originally founded by a single company, Ripple Labs, and continues to be backed by it, rather than the larger network of developers that continue bitcoin’s development. It also doesn’t have a fluctuating amount of its currency in existence. Where bitcoin has a continually growing pool with an eventual maximum, and Ethereum theoretically has no limit, Ripple was created with all of its 100 billion XRP tokens right out of the gate. That number is maintained with no mining and most of the tokens are owned and held by Ripple Labs itself — around 60 billion at the latest count.  Even at the recently reduced value of around half a dollar per XRP, that means Ripple Labs is currently sitting on around $20 billion worth of the cryptocurrency (note: Ripple’s price crashed hard recently, and may be worth far less than $60 billion by time you read this). It holds 55 billion XRP in an escrow account, which allows it to sell up to a billion per month if it so chooses in order to fund new projects and acquisitions. Selling such an amount would likely have a drastic effect on the cryptocurrency’s value, and isn’t something Ripple Labs plans to do anytime soon.  In actuality, Ripple Labs is looking to leverage the technology behind XRP to allow for faster banking transactions around the world. While Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are built on the idea of separating financial transactions from the financial organizations of traditional currencies, Ripple is almost the opposite in every sense.  XRP by Ripple price can be found on this page alongside the market capitalization and additional stats.

Ripple

XRP is trending amid an imminent Senate vote on the Clarity Act, with bulls anticipating a "parabolic" price surge from potential institutional adoption due to legal certainty. Conversely, a significant portion of the community dismisses the bill as a "nothing burger" and attributes ongoing price suppression to perceived token dumps by Ripple, labeling the asset a "scam."

Bitcoin is the world's first decentralized cryptocurrency, created in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. It enables peer-to-peer electronic cash transactions without intermediaries like banks or governments, operating on a blockchain secured by Proof of Work mining and the SHA-256 cryptographic algorithm.   With a fixed supply cap of 21 million coins and programmatic halvings every four years that reduce miner rewards, Bitcoin is designed as a deflationary digital asset often called "digital gold." Its value stems from solving the double-spending problem without trusted intermediaries, creating the first truly scarce digital asset with censorship resistance and permissionless access that no government, corporation, or individual can control.  Bitcoin operates as a decentralized peer-to-peer network where transactions are recorded on a public ledger called the blockchain, distributed across thousands of computers globally. Transactions are grouped into blocks added approximately every 10 minutes through mining, where specialized computers compete to solve complex mathematical puzzles.   Bitcoin has achieved mainstream adoption through multiple vectors. The January 2024 SEC approval of 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs opened Bitcoin investment to traditional finance participants, and corporations like Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) are using Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset to protect against currency debasement, offering MSTR holders amplified exposure to Bitcoin.   The Bitcoin ecosystem continues to evolve with innovations like Ordinals, which emerged in January 2023 to enable NFT-like functionality directly on Bitcoin, and BRC-20 tokens, an experimental standard for creating fungible tokens using Ordinal inscriptions. BTCFi (Bitcoin Finance) represents emerging financial applications extending beyond Bitcoin's traditional role, with protocols like Babylon allowing Bitcoin holders to stake BTC to secure Proof of Stake chains.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is currently trending amidst an intense community debate over its "digital gold" narrative, as its recent performance significantly lags surging precious metals like gold and silver, raising questions about its role as an inflation hedge and safe haven asset.

SPDR Gold Trust - SPDR Gold Shares

SPDR Gold Shares ETF

GLD is experiencing significant upward momentum as investors seek safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical tensions and concerns over the weakening US dollar following the Fed's decision to hold rates. The community is sharply divided, with bulls anticipating further gains driven by central bank accumulation, while bears warn of an overbought market and a potential sharp correction, comparing its rapid ascent to a speculative bubble.

Carvana Co. is a holding company and an eCommerce platform, which engages in the buying and selling of used cars. The company was founded by Ernest Garcia, III, Benjamin Huston and Ryan Keeton in 2012 and is headquartered in Tempe, AZ.

Carvana Co. - Ordinary Shares - Class A

Carvana Co.

Carvana is trending following a Gotham City Research short report alleging widespread accounting fraud and undisclosed related-party transactions, leading to a heated community discussion where some view it as a "Ponzi scheme" while others dismiss the claims as a "bear trap" supported by defending analysts. The controversy centers on the company's financial relationship with entities linked to the CEO's father and its reliance on subprime auto lending.

Tesla, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of electric vehicles and energy generation and storage systems. It operates through the Automotive and Energy Generation and Storage segments. The Automotive segment includes the design, development, manufacture, sale, and lease of electric vehicles as well as sales of automotive regulatory credits. The Energy Generation and Storage segment is involved in the design, manufacture, installation, sale, and lease of solar energy generation, energy storage products, and related services and sales of solar energy systems incentives. The company was founded by Jeffrey B. Straubel, Elon Reeve Musk, Martin Eberhard, and Marc Tarpenning on July 1, 2003 and is headquartered in Austin, TX.

Tesla Inc

Tesla is trending following a mixed earnings report showing an EPS beat on lowered estimates but declining revenue, sparking intense community debate around its aggressive pivot towards AI, robotics, and robotaxis. While supporters laud the long-term vision, critics question the substantial capital expenditure on unproven ventures amidst a shrinking core automotive business.

Meta Platforms, Inc. engages in the development of social media applications. It builds technology that helps people connect and share, find communities, and grow businesses. It operates through the Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL) segments. The FoA segment consists of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and other services. The RL segment includes augmented, mixed and virtual reality related consumer hardware, software, and content. The company was founded by Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris R. Hughes, Andrew McCollum, and Eduardo P. Saverin on February 4, 2004, and is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA.

Meta Platforms Inc - Ordinary Shares - Class A

Meta Platforms Inc

Meta Platforms is surging after its strong earnings report and optimistic guidance highlighted robust AI-driven ad performance, though the company's substantial capital expenditure plans for AI infrastructure are driving community discussion on its long-term financial implications and investment returns.

ServiceNow, Inc. engages in the provision of an end-to-end workflow automation platform for digital businesses. Its Now Platform is a cloud-based solution embedded with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The company was founded by Frederic B. Luddy in June 2004 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.

ServiceNow Inc

ServiceNow is facing significant selling pressure despite reporting strong earnings and announcing a substantial share buyback, leading to widespread community frustration over what many perceive as an irrational market reaction. This downturn reflects broader sector concerns about potential AI disruption to traditional software companies, with many viewing the current dip as an oversold buying opportunity.

Innodata, Inc. is a data engineering company, which engages in providing artificial intelligence software platforms and management of its services. It operates through the following business segments: Digital Data Solutions (DDS), Synodex, and Agility. The DDS segment combines deep neural networks and human expertise in multiple domains to make unstructured information useable. The Synodex segment enables clients in the insurance and healthcare sectors to transform medical records into useable digital data and to apply technologies to the digital data to augment decision support. The Agility segment provides tools and related professional services that enable public relations and communications professionals to discover influencers, amplify messages, monitor coverage, and measure the impact of campaigns. The company was founded by Todd H. Solomon in 1988 and is headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ.

Innodata Inc

Innodata is trending as a new partnership with Palantir and a prime contract position on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's 'Golden Dome' program validate its AI data engineering expertise, sparking community discussions about significant undervaluation, short squeeze potential, and future sovereign AI opportunities.

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<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>This comes after the Fed decided on Wednesday to keep the key borrowing rate unchanged, maintaining the federal funds rate in the 3.5% to 3.75% range, in line with market expectations.</li><li>The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points each in the previous three FOMC meetings, ending 2025 with a cumulative reduction of 75 bps.</li><li>The FOMC stated in its announcement that economic activity has been expanding at a “solid pace” even as job gains have remained low.</li></ul>President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided to keep interest rates unchanged.In a Truth Social <a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115978487020569325">post</a>, President Trump said Powell kept&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/federal-reserve-hold-rates-in-first-policy-meeting-of-2026-despite-pressure-from-trump/cmyggYyR40V">rates unchanged</a> even though there was no reason to keep them high, adding that this decision is hurting U.S. national security.“He is costing America Hundreds of Billions of Dollar a year in totally unnecessary and uncalled for INTEREST EXPENSE,” the President stated.He added that the U.S. should have a substantially lower rate, noting that Powell believes inflation is no longer a problem or threat.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Fed Keeps Rates Unchanged, Cites Solid Economic Activity</h2>This comes after the Fed decided on Wednesday to keep the key borrowing rate unchanged, maintaining the federal funds rate in the 3.5% to 3.75% range, in line with market expectations.“Available indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace. Job gains have remained low, and the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization. Inflation remains somewhat elevated,” the FOMC stated in its announcement.This comes after the Fed cut rates by 25 bps at each of the previous three FOMC meetings, ending 2025 with a cumulative reduction of 75 bps.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Government Shutdown, Fed Chair Appointment Looming</h2>The Fed’s rate decision could be followed by other major macroeconomic and political developments, including a potential shutdown of the U.S. government once again, as well as President Trump’s nomination of the next Chair of the central bank.The U.S. government could enter a partial shutdown beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday amid opposition from Senate Democrats to a measure passed by the House for funding the Department of Homeland Security, among other agencies, according to a CNBC&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/27/us-government-shutdown-over-dhs-funding.html">report</a>.President Trump is also expected to announce his nominee for the Fed Chair position, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/bessent-trump-fed-chair-decision-next-week-what-betting-markets-show/cmUumaVR4aY">currently a race</a> between ex-Fed official Kevin Warsh and BlackRock Inc.’s Chief Investment Officer, Rick Rieder.Meanwhile, U.S. equities declined in Thursday’s opening trade. At the time of writing, the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SPY">SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF</a> (SPY), which tracks the S&amp;P 500 index, was down by 0.58%, the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/QQQ">Invesco QQQ Trust ETF</a> (QQQ) fell 1.1%, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/DIA">SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust</a> (DIA) declined 0.08%. Retail sentiment around the S&amp;P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘neutral’ territory.The&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/IEF">iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF</a> (IEF) edged lower by 0.02% at the time of writing.Also See:&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/gold-silver-or-stocks-the-2026-return-gap-is-staggering/cmyiaosR4Km">Gold, Silver Or Stocks? The 2026 Return Gap Is Staggering</a>For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell on their way to a press event in the Rose Garden at the White House during his first term on November 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump Slams Powell Over Rates, Ties It To National Security – Says Fed Policy Is Costing US ‘Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars A Year'

He added that the U.S. should have a substantially lower rate while adding that Powell thinks that inflation is no longer a problem or threat.

Equity

<ul><li>Essentially, if you had invested $10,000 in gold and silver a year ago, your investment today would have been worth $20,000 and $38,300, respectively.</li><li>A similar investment in the DJIA, S&amp;P 500, and Nasdaq Composite indexes would have been worth $10,962, $11,554, and $12,152, respectively.</li><li>Analysts at ING Think ascribed the surge in gold prices to several factors, including geopolitical tensions.</li></ul>Precious metals are staging one of their strongest rallies, with gold and silver far outperforming U.S. equities. The performance gap is only widening in 2026 so far amid rising geopolitical tensions and investor demand for safe-haven assets.Spot gold prices&nbsp;gained more than 3% over the past 24 hours, climbing to a new high of $5,595 per troy ounce. Gold futures maturing in February gained 4% to rise to $5,515.Spot silver prices also rose similarly, touching a new high of $120.44 per troy ounce, rising more than 3% over the previous day. Silver futures maturing in March rose by nearly 4% to $118.56.But how does the rally in these two precious metals compare to equities? Here’s a quick rundown:<figure class="table"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col><col><col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>Particulars</td><td>Year-to-date change</td><td>1-year change</td></tr><tr><td>Gold</td><td>29.7%</td><td>100%</td></tr><tr><td>Silver</td><td>68.9%</td><td>283%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones Industrial Average</td><td>1.98%</td><td>9.62%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>1.94%</td><td>15.54%</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>2.65%</td><td>21.52%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>Essentially, if you had invested $10,000 in gold and silver a year ago, your investment today would have been worth $20,000 and $38,300, respectively.A similar investment in the DJIA, S&amp;P 500, and Nasdaq Composite indexes would have been worth $10,962, $11,554, and $12,152, respectively.<h2 class="st-heading-2">What’s Fueling The Gold And Silver Rush?</h2>Analysts at ING Think attributed the surge in gold prices to several factors, including geopolitical tensions after President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/trump-signals-military-escalation-toward-iran-as-markets-brace-for-big-tech-earnings-fed-decision/cmygPjOR40T">stated on Wednesday</a> that a “massive armada” is headed to Iran, the latest sign that tensions between the Middle Eastern country and the United States heating up.“Geopolitical tensions, a weaker dollar, and investor rotation out of currencies have boosted the precious metal,” the firm said.Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, chimed in on the surge in gold prices, stating in a&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://x.com/elerianm/status/2015626896462205258">post</a> on X that the yellow metal could now hit $6,000 per troy ounce in 2026.“We are likely to see $6,000 in 2026, though I expect the climb to be a lot more volatile from here,” he said.<figure class="image"><img src="https://news.stocktwits-cdn.com/El_Erian_post_jpg_adbeb998ff.webp" alt="Mohamed El-Erian's post on X" width="728" height="286"><figcaption>Mohamed El-Erian's post on X | @elerianm/X</figcaption></figure>Analysts at ING Think added that, despite market volatility, the broader backdrop remains supportive of both gold and silver. The firm cited geopolitical tensions, central bank buying, and structural supply deficits for both metals as the reasons behind its positive outlook for gold and silver.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/GLD">SPDR Gold Shares ETF</a> (GLD) was up 2.95% at the time of writing, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/IAU">iShares Gold Trust ETF</a> (IAU) was up 2.93%. The GLD and IAU ETFs have both surged around 25% year-to-date, with retail sentiment on Stocktwits around both ETFs trending in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory.The&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SLV">iShares Silver Trust ETF</a> (SLV) was up 2.78% at the time of writing, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SIVR">abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF</a> (SIVR) was up 2.61%.&nbsp;Also See:&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/why-is-cney-stock-rising-today/cmyiJIcR4Ki">Why Is CNEY Stock Rising Today?</a>For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Bavaria, Munich: Gold and silver bars of various sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metals dealer Pro Aurum. 

Gold, Silver Or Stocks? The 2026 Return Gap Is Staggering

Spot gold prices gained more than 3% over the past 24 hours, climbing to a new high of $5,595 per troy ounce, while silver prices touched a new high of $120.44.

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>Morgan Stanley said Azure’s growth fell short of expectations for a larger upside.</li><li>Goldman Sachs said that the stock slid on higher capex without faster Azure acceleration.</li><li>Barclays said Microsoft’s story will “see a slight rethink,” as new AI capacity is being directed more toward first-party products like Copilot.</li></ul>Shares of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) fell 7.5% in pre-market trading on Thursday after a flurry of brokerage actions, including being removed as ‘Top Pick’ at Morgan Stanley after its second-quarter (Q2) 2026 results.Despite posting better-than-expected second-quarter (Q2) revenue and earnings on Wednesday, its Azure unit growth slipped to 38% from 39% a year earlier. Microsoft also guided Azure revenue to rise between 37% and 38% in the third quarter.<h2 class="st-heading-2">What Are Analysts Saying?</h2>Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss dropped the stock from his top-pick list despite keeping an “Overweight” rating and a $650 price target, implying more than 45% upside from its current level near $446, according to The Fly. Weiss added that investor attention has narrowed to key GenAI indicators, particularly Azure and M365 Commercial Cloud performance, and Azure’s expansion beat guidance by just one point, falling short of expectations for a larger upside.Citi cut the price target to $635 from $660 and reiterated a ‘Buy’ rating, calling the earnings report mixed, while Goldman Sachs slashed it to $600 from $655 and maintained a ‘Buy’ rating. Goldman Sachs added that the stock slid on higher capex without faster Azure acceleration. It sees increased AI and R&amp;D investment supporting medium-term returns despite near-term pressure.Barclays analyst Raimo Lenschow cut Microsoft’s price target to $600 from $610 while maintaining an ‘Overweight’ rating. Lenschow said Microsoft’s story will “see a slight rethink,” as new AI capacity is being directed more toward first-party products like Copilot, changing how upside is expected to materialize.Brokerages, including Wells Fargo, Bernstein, and Piper Sandler, have also slashed their price target for Microsoft.<h2 class="st-heading-2">How Did Retail React?</h2>Despite <a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MSFT">MSFT stock</a> price dropping, retail sentiment on Stocktwits flipped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ a day earlier, amid ‘extremely high’ message volumes. MSFT was among the top trending tickers on the platform at the time of writing.<img src="https://news.stocktwits-cdn.com/MSFT_jpg_f80ea80956.webp" alt="MSFT.jpg">Chatter was mixed, with one user seeing good value.<stembedurl>https://stocktwits.com/MidnightMadness/message/643226745</stembedurl>While another user expected more growth.<stembedurl>https://stocktwits.com/YellowTail29/message/643222479</stembedurl>While MSFT stock has gained more than 10% over the past year, it has seen a marginal decline so far in 2026.Read also: <a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/why-did-ser-stock-surge-over-70-in-pre-market-today/cmyiIwvR4Kg">Why Did SER Stock Surge Over 70% In Pre-Market Today?</a> For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com

In this photo illustration the Microsoft logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen in Ankara, Turkiye on October 11, 2025.

MSFT Stock Falls Over 7% In Pre-Market – Why Did Morgan Stanley Drop It From ‘Top Pick’ List?

Multiple brokerages cut Microsoft’s price target, citing soft Azure growth.

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>Wall Street weighed heavy earnings and lingering government shutdown concerns.</li><li>Meta’s upbeat outlook offset Microsoft’s cloud slowdown, shifting focus to Apple’s earnings later today.</li><li>Commodities surged, with gold and silver hitting fresh record highs.</li></ul>U.S. stock futures were higher early Thursday as investors parsed the earnings report from the first of the “Magnificent Seven” companies (Meta, Microsoft, and Tesla), with the focus shifting to Apple, which reports earnings later today.&nbsp;As of 3:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nasdaq futures were up 0.4%, S&amp;P 500 futures gained 0.3%, while the Dow and Russell 2000 futures were flat.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, retail sentiment toward the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SPY">SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (SPY)</a>, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&amp;P 500 Index, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/QQQ">Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)</a> ETF, which tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, remained ‘extremely bearish’, amid high message volumes.&nbsp;Precious metals continued to notch fresh records, with gold surging near $5600 and silver past $120.&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/GLD/">SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD)</a> was the top trending ticker on Stocktwits at the time of writing. The&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SLV">iShares Silver Trust (SLV)</a> also saw retail sentiment remaining in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory, with ‘extremely high’ levels of chatter. Among base metals, copper prices too have surged 9% this month.Trending Stocks To WatchApple (AAPL): Investors will be watching for its earnings report after the market closes, with an eye on iPhone demand commentary and updates to its AI roadmap.Western Digital (WDC),&nbsp;SanDisk (SNDK): Watch out for these data storage giants as they report earnings today.Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT):&nbsp;Meta stock surged in after-hours, driven by a strong sales forecast and a $100-billion AI investment plan. On the other hand, Microsoft tumbled due to slowing cloud growth and soft margin guidance.Tesla (TSLA): CEO Elon Musk confirmed plans to discontinue two EV models as it pivots to robotics. Tesla has also warned that capital expenditures could exceed $20 billion in 2026.Critical Minerals (MP, UAMY, TMC, USAR, CRML): U.S. miner stocks were under pressure amid reports that the Trump administration was considering shelving plans for minimum price floors. MP Materials was one of the first companies to&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/why-did-mp-uamy-tmc-usar-crml-stocks-dip-after-hours-today/cmyLvl0R40w">state</a> that the news was “inaccurate.”&nbsp;Carvana (CVNA): The stock plunged yesterday amid a high-profile short seller's accusations of overstated earnings.Alibaba (BABA): Its logistics arm reportedly plans to merge its autonomous driving unit with a Chinese ‘Robovan’ startup.Nvidia (NVDA):&nbsp;Faces renewed scrutiny after U.S. lawmakers raised concerns about its past involvement with China’s DeepSeek AI models.Home Depot (HD): Has announced layoffs of roughly 800 workers and mandated a full return to work-from-office.CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP),&nbsp;Beam Therapeutics (BEAM):&nbsp;Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management has bought shares in these gene-editing stocks.Serina Therapeutics (SER): The stock surged in after-hours trading after the FDA cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a drug to treat advanced Parkinson’s disease.Other tickers trending on Stocktwits at the time of writing included ServiceNow (NOW), SoFi Technologies (SOFI), CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD), and Novavax (NVAX), among others.&nbsp; Other Catalysts To Watch On the economic front, traders will monitor Initial Jobless Claims and the U.S. Trade Balance data today.And on the earnings radar, investors will also be watching for the quarterly reports from Mastercard (MA), Honeywell (HON), Caterpillar (CAT), and Comcast (CMCSA) before the markets open. After the close, investors will watch earnings from Visa, SAP, KLA, Deckers Brands, and Stryker, among others.For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com

Nasdaq, S&P 500 Futures Climb Ahead Of Apple Earnings: Why META, TSLA, MP, CRML, SER Are On Traders' Radar Today

 Retail sentiment on major ETFs such as SPY and QQQ remains ‘extremely bearish’ on Stocktwits. 

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>IBM stock jumped in the after-market session on Wednesday, similar to the rally after its Q3 report in October.</li><li>Software revenue increased by 12% YoY, and the AI business book increased by 32% QoQ.&nbsp;</li><li>IBM expects over 5% revenue growth in 2026.</li></ul>International Business Machines Corp. shares jumped 7.7% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, ranking among the top gainers, after the software and consulting giant posted fourth-quarter results and 2026 forecast that topped expectations.Not among the names typically&nbsp;associated with the AI boom, IBM said its results were boosted by software sales, with handsome growth for its AI-focused offerings.Revenue rose 12% to $19.7 billion, and adjusted earnings increased 15% to $4.52 per share – both beating Wall Street’s estimates of $19.23 billion revenue and $4.32 EPS.Revenue from IBM’s software unit, which includes cloud, Red Hat offerings, AI software such as WatsonX, and automation and data products, rose 14% to $9 billion.“Our generative AI book of business now stands at more than $12.5 billion. This capped a strong 2025 for IBM where we exceeded expectations for revenue, profit and free cash flow,” CEO Arvind Krishna said in a&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-releases-fourth-quarter-results-302673165.html">statement</a>. AI customers are shifting from experimenting to scaling, he said on the analyst call.&nbsp;The company’s AI business book was $9.5 billion as of the end of the third quarter. IBM expects 2026 revenue to increase by more than 5%, slightly higher than analysts’ 4.6% growth estimate.On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/IBM">IBM</a> flipped to ‘bullish’ from ‘bearish’ the previous day, amid ‘extremely high’ message volume.“$IBM boo yah!!! My $350 by EOY is definitely in play. May come quicker than expected. However, been in this for 18 months on what I expect will a multi-year run similar to MSFT run,” a user&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/Miracleshappen/message/643234345">posted</a>.<figure class="image"><img src="https://news.stocktwits-cdn.com/Screenshot_2026_01_29_at_8_58_50_AM_png_ed5955a3c4.webp" alt="Screenshot 2026-01-29 at 8.58.50 AM.png" width="701" height="84"><figcaption>IBM sentiment and message volume as of January 28 | Source: Stocktwits</figcaption></figure>If the after-hours gains hold up on Thursday, it would be the stock’s best performance since last October, when it gained nearly 8% following IBM’s third quarter report.Since then, the stock has traded within a&nbsp;narrow range. As of the last close, IBM was down 0.7% so far&nbsp;this year.For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/meta-to-be-dramatically-reshaped-by-ai-this-year-mark-zuckerberg-is-betting-big-on-it/cmyLwElR40D">Meta To Be ‘Dramatically’ Reshaped By AI This Year — Mark Zuckerberg Is Betting Big On It</a>&nbsp;

The IBM logo appears on a smartphone screen, and a stock exchange curve chart displays as the background. (Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Why Did IBM Stock Surge Over 7% In After-Hours Trading Today?

IBM reported better-than-expected Q4 results, boosted by AI software sales.

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>Powell said that there was broad support on the committee for holding the benchmark interest rates today.&nbsp;</li><li>Powell said the Fed hasn’t lost independence yet.&nbsp;</li><li>He added that the year 2026 has started on a strong note.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li></ul>Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell in a press conference on Wednesday said that the Fed will make the decision on benchmark rates on a meeting-by-meeting basis.&nbsp;“We'll continue to make our decisions, meeting by meeting, based on the incoming data, the implications for the outlook and the balance of risks,” Powell said.&nbsp;“Haven't made any decisions about future meetings, but the economy is growing at a solid pace,” he added.&nbsp;Powell said that there was broad support on the committee for holding the benchmark interest rates today.&nbsp;The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its key interest rate steady at 3.50% - 3.75% in its first policy meeting of 2026, in line with market expectations.&nbsp;The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its key interest rate steady at 3.50% - 3.75% in its first policy meeting of 2026, in line with market expectations.&nbsp;<h2 class="st-heading-2">Confident On Fed Independence</h2>Fed’s independence has been under scrutiny especially after President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook from her role without judicial proceedings.&nbsp;“We haven't lost it (independence). I don't believe we will. I certainly hope we won't, but it's very important, and the reason it's important is that it's enabled central banks generally not to be perfect, but to serve the public well,” Powell said.&nbsp;Powell said that if the Fed loses independence then it's hard to restore the credibility of the institution. “If people lose their faith that we're making decisions, you know only on the basis of our assessment of what's best for everyone, for the wide public, rather than trying to benefit one group or another. If you lose that, it's going to be hard to retain it,” he added.&nbsp;<h2 class="st-heading-2">Improving Economic Situation</h2>Powell said that the year 2026 has started on a strong note and the incoming data since the last meeting has shown a clear improvement in the outlook for growth.&nbsp;“The data have come in, and sentiment to Beige Book, everything comes in suggesting that this year starts off on a solid footing for growth, inflation performed about as expected,” Powell said.&nbsp;U.S. equities were mixed during extended hours of trading on Wednesday. At the time of writing, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SPY">SPY</a>), which tracks the S&amp;P 500 index, was down by 0.1%, the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/QQQ">QQQ</a>) rose 0.37%, and the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/DIA">DIA</a>) fell 0.10%.Retail sentiment around the S&amp;P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘extremely bearish’ territory.For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com. &nbsp;

Powell Says Future Rate Cut Decisions Will Be Made On Meeting By Meeting Basis, Confident On Fed’s Independence

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the Fed has not made any decisions about future meetings and added that the economy is growing at a solid pace. 

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>The Fed noted that inflation still remains somewhat elevated.</li><li>The two main contenders to take up the job as next Fed chair Stephen I. Miran and Christopher J. Waller both voted against the policy decision.</li><li>Both Miran and Waller preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li></ul>The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its benchmark interest rates steady in its first policy meeting of 2026, on the back of encouraging labor market data and stabilizing unemployment rate.&nbsp;The Fed announced that it will hold key interest rates at 3.50% - 3.75%, in line with market expectations.“Available indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace. Job gains have remained low, and the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization. Inflation remains somewhat elevated,” the Federal Reserve said in a statement.&nbsp;The move was widely anticipated by the markets after policymakers delivered three consecutive 25-bps rate cuts in September, October, and December 2025 amid rising inflation and growing unemployment at the time. In its latest update, the Fed noted that inflation still remains somewhat elevated.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Fed’s Rationale</h2>Recent economic data have pointed toward a return to meaningful growth for the U.S. economy and stabilization of key economic indicators, including unemployment.&nbsp;In December, the Bureau of Economic Analysis <a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/us-gdp-q3-december-2025/cLep8gzREuU">reported</a> that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the third quarter (Q3), higher than the Dow Jones forecast of 3.2%, as cited by MarketWatch.&nbsp;The December jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed the unemployment rate inching lower to 4.4% in December, down from a revised 4.5% in November.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Eyes On Fed Chair Nomination</h2>The decision comes amid increased focus on the next Fed Chair nomination expected from President Donald Trump as well as the ongoing criminal investigation on current Fed Chair Jerome Powell.&nbsp;The two main contenders for the next Fed chair, Stephen I. Miran and Christopher J. Waller, both voted against the policy decision. Both Miran and Waller preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 bps at the meeting.&nbsp;Meanwhile, U.S. equities were mixed on Wednesday. At the time of writing, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SPY">SPY</a>), which tracks the S&amp;P 500 index, was down by 0.13%, the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/QQQ">QQQ</a>) rose 0.37%, and the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/DIA">DIA</a>) fell 0.10%.&nbsp;Retail sentiment around the S&amp;P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘extremely bearish’ territory.The iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/IEF">IEF</a>) was down 0.14% at the time of writing.For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.&nbsp;

The seal of the Federal Reserve is pictured before Fed Chairman Jerome Powell conducted a news conference after a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

Fed Holds Key Rate Steady In First Policy Meeting Of 2026 Despite Trump’s Mounting Pressure

The Federal Reserve kept rates steady at 3.50%–3.75% in its first move in 2026, after delivering three consecutive 25-bps rate cuts last year.

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>Fueling the S&amp;P 500’s gains on Wednesday are the Information Technology, Energy, Consumer Discretionary, Industrials, and Consumer Staples sectors.</li><li>Tesla, Microsoft, Meta, and IBM are also set to announce their latest quarterly results.</li><li>As the FOMC’s interest rate decision is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday, Mohamed El-Erian said the focus will instead be on the central bank’s economic outlook and policy implications.</li></ul>The S&amp;P 500 index soared past the 7,000 level for the first time ever, driven by investor optimism around the earnings of U.S. companies.At the time of writing, the S&amp;P 500 was hovering at 6,981 after reaching an all-time high of 7,002.28, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.01% at the time of writing, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.13%.<h2 class="st-heading-2">What’s Driving The Surge?</h2>Fueling the S&amp;P 500 index’s gains on Wednesday are the Information Technology, Energy, Consumer Discretionary, Industrials, and Consumer Staples sectors.However, the Financials and Health Care sectors were hovering in the red at the time of writing.Here are the top five performing S&amp;P 500 sectors year-to-date:<figure class="table"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>Sector</td><td>Year-to-date change</td></tr><tr><td>Energy</td><td>11.23%</td></tr><tr><td>Materials</td><td>10.34%</td></tr><tr><td>Consumer Staples</td><td>6.95%</td></tr><tr><td>Industrials</td><td>6.4%</td></tr><tr><td>Consumer Discretionary</td><td>3.12%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>Source: S&amp;P Global, as of Jan. 28, 2026<h2 class="st-heading-2">Earnings Season Underway</h2>The earnings season is gathering steam, with Tesla Inc. (TSLA), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), and International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), among others, scheduled to report their latest quarterly results on Wednesday.The Future Fund’s Gary Black said he expects better-than-expected tech company earnings to drive the surge in equities on Wednesday.“We expect equities to continue their record advance, given stronger-than-expected tech earnings and President Trump’s likely nomination this week of Rick Rieder, Blackrock’s global fixed income CIO as the next Fed chair,” he said in a&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://x.com/garyblack00/status/2016471712364126333">post</a> on X.Apple Inc. (AAPL) is set to announce its results on Thursday, while Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) are scheduled to report next week.Analysts at the Schwab Center for Financial Research echoed Black’s optimism about tech earnings. “Collectively, profits for the Magnificent Seven are projected to grow by nearly 17%, making this the most important stretch of earnings season so far,” the firm stated in a recent note.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Eye On Fed</h2>Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, on Wednesday said that the focus will not be on what the Federal Reserve does with respect to rates.“Instead, the focus is on how central bankers characterize the economic outlook and policy implications,” he said in a&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://x.com/elerianm/status/2016482273705517553">post</a> on X.Jeremy Siegel, professor emeritus of finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business,&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/a-fed-pause-is-priced-in-here-s-the-wild-card-that-investors-are-watching/cmyg2xxR40G">stated that</a> markets will focus on the Fed Chair nomination. He views ex-Fed official Kevin Warsh and BlackRock Inc.’s Chief Investment Officer, Rick Rieder, to be among the frontrunners now.At the time of writing, the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SPY">SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF</a> (SPY), which tracks the S&amp;P 500 index, was up by 0.16%, the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/QQQ">Invesco QQQ Trust ETF</a> (QQQ) gained 0.56%, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/DIA">SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust</a> (DIA) rose 0.07%. Retail sentiment around the S&amp;P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘extremely bearish’ territory.Also See:&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/why-is-rgnx-stock-falling-today/cmyg4cKR404">RGNX Stock Is Falling Today — What Is The FDA Update On REGENXBIO's Gene Therapy?</a>For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

People walk by the New York Stock Exchange

S&P 500 Soars Past 7,000 For First Time, Driven By Tech And Energy Stocks

Schwab Center for Financial Research expects profits of the “Magnificent Seven” companies to collectively grow by 17% this quarter, making this the most important stretch of the earnings season so far.

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>Trump’s latest warning to Iran comes as the earnings season gathers steam, with companies like Tesla, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple scheduled to announce their latest quarterly results this week.</li><li>The Federal Reserve is also slated to announce the outcome of the latest Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Wednesday.</li><li>The President said last week that while an “armada” was heading to the Middle Eastern country, he hopes not to have to use it.</li></ul>President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that a “massive armada” is headed to Iran in the latest signs of tensions between the Middle Eastern country and the United States heating up.“It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” said President Trump in a&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115972658725010644">post</a> on Truth Social.He warned Iran that time is running out for the country to reach a nuclear weapons deal with the U.S. Trump also added that the next attack by the U.S. on Iran will be “far worse,” while referring to the “Operation Midnight Hammer” that was carried out in June 2025.<figure class="image"><img src="https://news.stocktwits-cdn.com/Trump_post_jpg_6087cb0b76.webp" alt="President Donald Trump's post on Truth Social" width="725" height="597"><figcaption>President Donald Trump's post on Truth Social | @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social</figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, U.S. equities were mixed in Wednesday’s pre-market trade. Futures of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were down 34 points at the time of writing, while the S&amp;P 500 gained 0.22%, and the Nasdaq 100 was up by 0.76%.The&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SPY">SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF</a> (SPY), which tracks the S&amp;P 500 index, rose 0.28%, the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/QQQ">Invesco QQQ Trust ETF</a> (QQQ) rose 0.82%, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/DIA">SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust</a> (DIA) declined 0.06%. Retail sentiment around the S&amp;P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘extremely bearish’ territory.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Looming Big Tech Earnings, Fed Decision</h2>Trump’s latest warning to Iran has thrust geopolitical risk back in the spotlight. This comes as Wall Street gears up for heavy earnings, with several big technology companies, like Tesla Inc. (TSLA), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), and Apple Inc. (AAPL) scheduled to announce their latest quarterly results this week.The Federal Reserve is also slated to announce the outcome of the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Ramping Up Pressure On Iran</h2>Trump’s warning to Iran on Wednesday comes after the President said last week that while an “armada” was heading to the Middle Eastern country, he hopes not to have to use it, according to a Reuters&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-military-assets-heading-middle-east-even-trump-backs-off-toughest-iran-2026-01-22/">report</a>.This comes after tensions between the two countries rose following a crackdown on protestors in Iran over the past few months.Also See:&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/a-fed-pause-is-priced-in-here-s-the-wild-card-that-investors-are-watching/cmyg2xxR40G">A Fed Pause Is Priced In. Here’s The ‘Wild Card’ That Investors Are Watching</a>For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Defense Medal in the Oval Office of the White House on December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Trump Signals Military Escalation Toward Iran As Markets Brace For Big Tech Earnings, Fed Decision

President Trump also added that the next attack by the U.S. on Iran will be “far worse,” while referring to the “Operation Midnight Hammer” that was carried out in June 2025.

Trump Says A 'Massive Armada' Is Headed To Iran As Tensions Heat Up Amid Focus On Big Tech Earnings And Fed Meeting

<ul class="summary-bullets"><li>Siegel added that the markets are shifting their focus to the imminent Fed Chair nomination.</li><li>While Kevin Hassett was the frontrunner for several weeks, Siegel views ex-Fed official Kevin Warsh and BlackRock’s Rick Rieder to be among the frontrunners now.</li><li>He added that the markets view both the options as benign, which has kept the policy uncertainty contained.</li></ul>Jeremy Siegel, professor emeritus of finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, stated that the Federal Reserve may signal a “clear pause” on rate cuts on Wednesday.In his latest note, the Wharton professor stated that he expects the FOMC meeting to be uneventful, with no changes in the dot plot or the central bank’s monetary policy.The FOMC is scheduled to meet on January 27 and January 28, with the outcome announced at the conclusion of the two-day meeting. This is also its first meeting for 2026, and comes after three consecutive 25 bps rate cuts toward the end of 2025.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Shifting Focus Of Markets</h2>Siegel added that the markets are shifting their focus to the imminent Fed Chair nomination. While White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett was the frontrunner for several weeks, Siegel views ex-Fed official Kevin Warsh and BlackRock Inc.’s Chief Investment Officer, Rick Rieder, to be among the frontrunners now.“Attention is also turning to the Fed leadership question, where the field has narrowed to what looks like a two-horse race between Warsh and Rieder,”He added that the markets view both the options as benign, which has kept the policy uncertainty contained.<h2 class="st-heading-2">The Case For A Pause</h2>The economist pointed to the macroeconomic data released since December that makes a strong case for a pause this month.In December, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/us-gdp-q3-december-2025/cLep8gzREuU">U.S. economy grew</a> at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the third quarter (Q3), higher than the Dow Jones forecast of 3.2%, as&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendar">cited</a> by MarketWatch.The BEA stated that the acceleration in real GDP in Q3 compared to the second quarter (Q2) reflected a smaller decrease in investment, an acceleration in consumer spending, and an upturn in exports and government spending.The&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/us-jobs-employment-report-december-2025/cmU2hD6R4dW">December jobs report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed the unemployment rate inching lower to 4.4% in December, down from a revised 4.5% in November.The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, came in at&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/us-pce-index-november-2025/cmUCRChR4X3">2.8% in November</a> on an annualized basis, in line with expectations.Data from CME Group’s Fedwatch&nbsp;<a class="st-link-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a> indicates a 97.2% probability that the Fed will maintain interest rates at the current 3.5% to 3.75% range.<h2 class="st-heading-2">Expert Points To A ‘Wild Card’</h2>Schwab Center for Financial Research analysts stated in a recent note that the markets are currently pricing in no changes to the policy rates.However, the firm’s director of fixed income strategy, Howard Cooper, pointed out what investors should watch out for on Wednesday. “The statement will likely contain minimal changes. The press conference is always the wild card,” he said.The firm also said in its note that dissents will be another aspect to watch out for following the conclusion of the FOMC’s meeting on Wednesday. “Some Fed policymakers have made it clear they want rates lowered faster, but they're unlikely to have their way today,” stated SCFR.Analysts at ING Think echoed similar sentiments in their latest note ahead of the Fed meeting.“The main focus will therefore be on possible dissent and communication, also around the issue of the Fed’s independence. The decision will also be overshadowed by President Trump's upcoming pick of a new Fed Chair,” the firm said.<h2 class="st-heading-2">What Are Prediction Markets Indicating?</h2>Bettors on popular prediction markets, Kalshi and Polymarket, overwhelmingly expect the Fed to keep rates unchanged this week.<figure class="image"><img src="https://news.stocktwits-cdn.com/Screenshot_2026_01_28_at_17_55_51_png_d20bb6d63f.webp" alt="Kalshi prediction market bets on Fed rate cut probabilities" width="1748" height="1050"><figcaption>Kalshi prediction market bets on Fed rate cut probabilities | Kalshi</figcaption></figure>While total betting volumes on the two platforms stood at nearly $652 million at the time of writing, 99% of the votes were in favor of the Fed keeping rates unchanged.<figure class="image"><img src="https://news.stocktwits-cdn.com/Screenshot_2026_01_28_at_17_56_05_png_6054f362fb.webp" alt="Polymarket prediction market bets on Fed rate cut probabilities" width="1914" height="1012"><figcaption>Polymarket prediction market bets on Fed rate cut probabilities | Polymarket</figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, U.S. equities gained in Wednesday’s pre-market trade. At the time of writing, the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/SPY">SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF</a> (SPY), which tracks the S&amp;P 500 index, was up by 0.34%, the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/QQQ">Invesco QQQ Trust ETF</a> (QQQ) rose 0.91%, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/DIA">SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust</a> (DIA) gained 0.06%. Retail sentiment around the S&amp;P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘extremely bearish’ territory.The&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/TLT">iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF</a> (TLT) was down by 0.39% at the time of writing, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/symbol/IEF">iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF</a> (IEF) fell 0.09%.Also See:&nbsp;<a href="https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/pypl-stock-hit-with-a-downgrade-as-marginal-consumer-moves-away-from-its-platform/cmygTh1R4iy">PYPL Stock Hit With A Downgrade As 'Marginal Consumer' Moves Away From Its Platform</a>For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

The seal of the Federal Reserve is pictured before Fed Chairman Jerome Powell announced the Fed will leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

A Fed Pause Is Priced In. Here’s The ‘Wild Card’ That Investors Are Watching

In his latest note, Jeremy Siegel expects the FOMC meeting to be uneventful, with no changes to the dot plot or the central bank’s monetary policy.

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