Live Updates
Alphabet is tapping European debt markets, lining up more than $11 billion in sterling- and Swiss franc-denominated bonds, including a rare 100-year note. Investor demand is robust, with bids for the sterling tranche reportedly topping £30 billion, according to Bloomberg, spanning maturities from three-32 years. The move follows a $20 billion U.S. bond sale and comes as Alphabet ramps up spending, with capex poised to climb as high as $185 billion this year to fund its AI ambitions. GOOGL stock is down approximately 2% today.
JPMorgan analysts have published a note to address recent pressure in software stocks based on AI fears, saying that the selling has been overdone. Suggesting that the premise is unrealistic, JPMorgan has advised investors to rotate back into select software stocks that are resilient to AI headwinds.
The Nasdaq Composite is now up fractionally.
UBS analysts have turned bearish on technology stocks, downgrading its forecast on the sector, owing to the heavy capex plans of Big Tech companies alongside uncertainty surrounding software stocks.
This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.
The markets are mixed out of the gate today, with the Nasdaq Composite meandering between positive and negative territory while the Dow Jones Industrial Average chases record highs. Sectors of the economy are split, with technology stocks being pressured by the likes of Google parent Alphabet (Nasdaq: GOOGL | GOOGL Price Prediction) and Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU), each down 2.1%, while Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) is bucking the downward trend, rising 1.3% today.
The 2025 holiday shopping season failed to deliver the expected results. U.S. retail sales were flat in December compared with the prior month vs. expectations for a modest rise of 0.4%. Meanwhile, President Trump is bullish on the economy, suggesting the economy could expand at a 15% clip once the Fed is under the leadership of his top pick Kevin Warsh.
Here’s a look at where things stand as of morning trading:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 50,277.68 Up 143.28 (+0.30%)
Nasdaq Composite: 23,260.04 Up 13.27 (flat)
S&P 500: 6,966.20 Up 0.95 (+0.01%)
Tech Turnaround
Capital Economics, which partners with data platform FactSet, predicts the broader market rally will resume despite a volatile start to 2026. Tech fundamentals remain intact despite worries about AI capex and economic uncertainty, with tech companies still managing to post double-digit growth. According to the firm, profits will keep rising, as a result of which they are maintaining a lofty 8,000 target for the S&P 500 by year-end 2026, suggesting there’s plenty of gas left in the tank for market gains.
Market Movers
Bernstein analysts are optimistic on Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), lifting the price target by $15 to $340 per share with an “outperform” rating attached. The analysts cited a bullish cycle for the iPhone 17 as well as stronger top- and bottom-line performance.
Taiwan Semiconductor has reportedly come out swinging against a White House official’s calls for the company to shift 40% of its chip production to the U.S.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives has added a couple of stocks to his coveted AI 30 list, including Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) and ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW), sending the stocks higher by 1.5% and 3%, respectively, today.
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