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Fed Minutes Reveal Deep Divide on Rate Path as Powell Succession Looms

Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting, released Wednesday, showed officials broadly endorsing a pause in rate cuts but sharply divided on what comes next, with some members open to resuming easing if inflation continues to cool and others arguing for an extended hold — a split that is amplifying market uncertainty ahead of Friday's critical GDP and PCE data release.

Gold Hovers Near $5,000 as Safe-Haven Demand, Central Bank Buying, and Rate Uncertainty Converge

Gold remained firmly anchored near the $4,990 per ounce level on Thursday as a confluence of persistent geopolitical tensions, continued central bank accumulation led by China's People's Bank, and growing expectations for additional Federal Reserve rate cuts kept bullion elevated after its historic surge of more than 60% in 2025 — with major banks targeting prices well above $5,000 by year-end.

Wall Street Braces for Friday's GDP and PCE 'Data Deluge' — A Potential Inflection Point for 2026 Markets

Investors are positioning defensively ahead of Friday's simultaneous release of the Q4 2025 advance GDP estimate and December PCE inflation data — a rare consolidation of two pivotal economic reports that analysts are calling the 'ultimate reality check' for the 2026 outlook, with consensus projecting 2.8% annualized GDP growth and core PCE inflation of 2.8% year-over-year, either of which could dramatically reprice rate expectations across equity, bond, and currency markets.

Stocks Slip Before the Open as Geopolitical and Economic Concerns Surface

U.S. equity futures softened in early trading as investors weigh geopolitical risks, including tensions in the Middle East, alongside incoming economic data and corporate earnings risks. The cautious tone ahead of the open reflects investor sensitivity to global volatility and macroeconomic indicators as markets try to gauge the near-term direction for stocks.

Bullish Memory Chip Stocks Lead S&P 500 Performers Amid AI Boom

Memory-focused companies such as Sandisk, Western Digital, and Seagate showed significant gains in U.S. markets as AI-driven demand continues to reshape sector valuations. Investors are reallocating capital toward memory and semiconductor stocks benefiting from heightened data center and AI hardware needs, even as broader market performance was mixed.

Market Risks Rise as Investor Optimism Nears Multi-Year Highs

Investor sentiment has surged to levels not seen in years, raising concerns among strategists that markets may be overextended and vulnerable to correction. With broad bullishness persisting and allocations heavily tilted toward equities, analysts advise selectivity in stock picking as risks tied to inflation and rising yields intensify.

Tax Foundation Report Confirms Tariffs as Largest Tax Hike Since 1993, Weighing on 2026 Outlook

A comprehensive analysis released today by the Tax Foundation reveals that the cumulative impact of recent US tariffs represents the largest tax increase as a share of GDP in over three decades. The report estimates an average annual burden of $1,300 per US household in 2026, with businesses and consumers bearing nearly 90% of the costs. This structural drag is increasingly reflected in the downward revision of earnings guidance across the industrial, consumer discretionary, and healthcare sectors.

Applied Digital Shares Tumble After Nvidia Reduces Stake in Sector Context

Applied Digital’s shares fell sharply on Wednesday following a regulatory filing revealing Nvidia’s reduced stake, triggering investor uncertainty. The drop in stock price reflects broader market sensitivity to shifts in major holdings and valuation concerns amid a backdrop of mixed results in the tech sector and ongoing debate over AI spending’s long-term returns.

Nvidia and Meta Announce Multi-Billion Dollar AI Chip Partnership Spanning Millions of GPUs

Nvidia and Meta Platforms unveiled an expanded multiyear partnership on Tuesday that will see Meta deploy millions of Nvidia's Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, plus standalone Grace and Vera CPUs, across its global data centers. The deal, estimated at tens of billions of dollars, marks the first large-scale deployment of Nvidia's Grace CPUs as standalone processors and reinforces Nvidia's dominance in AI infrastructure despite rising competition from AMD and Google.