"The markets are off to the races today as they round out trading for the first month of 2026. Technology stocks are in focus with several Mag 7 names on deck to report their quarterly earnings, including Apple ( Nasdaq: AAPL) and Meta Platforms ( Nasdaq: META), both of which are advancing by over 1% this morning. Small-cap stocks are relatively flat, with the Russell 2000 down fractionally. Meanwhile, precious metal gold has surpassed the $500/ounce threshold for the first time in history, sending mining stocks higher."
"Wall Street analysts are feverishly publishing notes this morning. Among them, Stifel analysts have slashed their price target on Microsoft ( Nasdaq: MSFT) shares by over $100 to $520 per share but kept a "buy" rating on the stock. Rothschild analysts have turned increasingly bullish on Meta Platforms, upgrading the stock to a "buy" rating from "neutral" and lifting the price target by over $100 to $900 per share, suggesting upside potential of nearly 40%."
Major U.S. indices opened higher with the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all advancing. Apple and Meta rose more than 1% as technology names dominated ahead of earnings. Small-cap performance was muted while the Russell 2000 edged down fractionally. Gold climbed past $500 per ounce for the first time, lifting mining stocks. An arctic blast drove natural gas back above $6. CoreWeave surged 11% following a $2 billion investment from Nvidia to expand AI data-center capacity. Analysts adjusted targets and ratings, including Stifel trimming Microsoft's target and Rothschild upgrading Meta to a buy.
Read at 24/7 Wall St.
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