Schwab Network

December’s employment report is the first uninterrupted one since the government shutdown. Jeffrey Cleveland and Ken Kim break down the numbers. Ken characterizes the labor market as “coming to a standstill,” noting that 2025 hiring was the weakest since Covid. Additionally, most of the jobs added were in January-April. Jeffrey calls the labor market “soggy” and thinks policy makers should be main...

Jim Kelly, CEO of NCR Voyix (VYX), is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a public company. NCR Voyix offers point-of-sale solutions to restaurants and retailers. They are the number one point-of-sale company in the world; they have 50% of market share in Japan alone. Two trillion dollars goes through their systems every year, and they are now moving into the payment space as well. “We are at the...

The employment data came in lower than Lisa Flicker anticipated, and she looks at potential causes. She calls the labor market “selective”: people are “not in panic mode” but are strategizing for potential growth, possibly driven by deregulation. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Be...

The holiday season added muscle to Apple's (AAPL) iPhone 17 sales. LikeFolio's data shows strong demand in the tail-end of 2025, something Megan Brantley believes offers a good set-up for 2026. She makes the case that any positive headlines on AI development can send Apple's consumer sentiment soaring. However, Megan says there's a big question mark for the back half of the year wh...

Eddie Yoon and Ted Rossman break down consumer sentiment. Ted thinks we’ve put “too much emphasis” on it in recent years, arguing that there’s been a divergence between sentiment and reality since the pandemic. If you only looked at consumer sentiment, “you’d think we’d been in a recession for six years now.” Eddie notes generational differences, with Boomers happy and Gen Z negative. “Gen Z no lo...

Energy markets are staying relatively calm because of uncertainty, says Graham Stock. Venezuelan oil will take a long time to come back online, and significant assurances before capex commitments are made. He thinks it would take over $100 billion over the next 10 years to bring Venezuela back up to 3 million barrels per day. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, e...

Nuclear power and private jets take Tim Bohen's attention on today's Big 3. Tim points to Oklo Inc.'s (OKLO) cooldown as a new base for shares, Cameco's (CCJ) "safer" exposure to the nuclear sector, and Flyexecutive's (FLYX) SpaceX tie as reasons to watch his stock picks. Rick Ducat showcases bearish and bullish trend for all three stocks. ======== Schwab Network ====...

Michael Green explains his “post-scarcity” Bitcoin thesis. Bitcoin miners are switching to AI processing as electricity demand outstrips supply. This threatens the Bitcoin network as it loses computing power, he argues, and he thinks that is the biggest threat to price. He compares Bitcoin and gold and how security expenditures do or do not “change the character” of the asset. “Bitcoin will either...

Jake Hanley describes the “great divergence” of the commodity trade and how things may change in 2026. He thinks metals can catch a bid in the next few years as copper demand outstrips supply in a “great acceleration.” He also examines grain market supply and demand, showing a trend of global incomes going up, leading to more animal consumption, leading to more grain consumption to feed the animal...

Friday's December jobs report can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. Charles Schwab's Collin Martin considers the unemployment drop to 4.4% a "welcome development" to a stagnating jobs picture. However, it also pulls back possibilities of an interest rate cut sooner than later. As for the now delayed Supreme Court tariffs decision, Collin poses the question "wh...

Marley Kayden covers Meta Platforms’ (META) nuclear play as it inks deals with Vistra (VST), Oklo (OKLO) and others for up to 6.6 GW of power. This makes Meta the biggest buyer of nuclear energy, which it intends to use to power its Prometheus supercomputer project. Dan Deming offers an example options trade on Meta. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every mark...

A flood of banking earnings with hit investors next week to kick off 2026's first earnings season. Stephen Biggar expects the biggest banks like JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and Goldman Sachs (GS) to experience "more of the same" uptrend thanks to fortress-like balance sheets and a favorable economic environment. One spot where he's wary: mid-sized banks and credit ri...

JPMorgan is moving into the bull camp for Southwest Airlines (LUV) after holding an underweight rating until today. Diane King Hall talks about the firm's newfound bull case in an "attractively profitable" outlook. On the downside, General Motors (GM) saw pressure after adding $6 billion in charges over its EV business. Diane also notes pressure in the tech space after Mizuho downgra...

Kevin Hincks kicks off the final trading day of the week with a glimpse at the December jobs report, which showed a 50,000 uptick in non-farm payrolls. He explains why the move is muted compared to past metrics and what it means for the Fed's path forward. Another potential market mover to keep in mind: the Supreme Court's decision on tariffs. Kevin explains how volatility can enter market...

The odds are that the Supreme Court will rule against tariffs, says Lance Roberts, but it will actually be good for markets. He thinks it will improve margins for consumer-centric companies, but notes that the boost will be temporary as the Trump administration responds. On the jobs report, he argues the economy is slowing as full-time employment decreases, which could pressure profit margins late...

GE Vernova (GEV) appeared to shrug off a downgrade from Baird in the hour before Friday's opening bell. The downgrade comes After Meta Platforms (META) tapped Vistra (VST) and Oklo Inc. (OKLO) to supply electricity for the social media conglomerate. Rick Ducat analyzes the key levels to watch in GE Vernova shares and later offers an example options trade for the stock. ======== Schwab Network...

Minutes following the December jobs report, Amy Glaser takes investors through the numbers. She explains how the holiday season's "pull forward effect" caused some cutbacks in December. As for AI's hiring impact, Amy says job candidates are paying more attention to how employers are using the tech. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every marke...

Big banks kick off earnings next week, and Nick Raich notes 2026 is also off to a strong start. With JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and Goldman Sachs (GS) among the behemoths reporting, he believes guidance will be crucial to maintain an upbeat view on the financial sector. Even after some big banks got hit with downgrades this week, Nick believes firms will shake off the negative sentim...

Ahead of Friday's December jobs report, @ProsperTradingAcademy's Scott Bauer weighs in on market movers to watch into the end of the trading week. For crude oil, he considers any move higher on the commodity a "sell the rip" move until fundamentals change and demand rises. However, Scott believes gold is a "buy the dip" despite its massive 2025 rally. He later explains...

Fibonacci retracement levels were respected in Rachel Dashiell's analysis of CrowdStrike's (CRWD) stock. She explains where bulls and bears are battling for control through short and long-term chart analysis. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribe Download the i...

David Kudla says investors can still expect upside if they add metals to their portfolios. 2026 is a year he sees miners adding fuel to the metal rally and diversification lifting metals outside silver and gold. That said, industrial demand increasing for both silver and gold will still give them plenty of room to run, according to David. Outside of metals, David urges investors to pay attention t...

Growth will take a backseat to value in 2026, says Simon Lack. He sees investors turning away from the high-flying AI stocks to underappreciated corners of the market inside and outside tech. As for energy, Simon calls it the "president's favorite sector," but also one that will face international headwinds following developments in Venezuela. However, he sees plenty of winners and points to Valer...

AI and memory storage chips continue to decline, but Marley Kayden and Sam Vadas turn to key stocks rallying in the housing and defense sectors. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribe Download the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185 Downl...

Constellation Brands (STZ) recently beat earnings expectations, offering a glimmer of optimism amidst a challenging macroeconomic landscape. Mackenzie Peterson discusses how the company is navigating shifting consumer trends by adapting its product mix to include non-alcoholic options and focusing on beer over wine. The discussion also explores the potential for cannabis as an alternative to alcoh...

George Tsilis looks at AZZ Inc. (AZZ) for today's Overlooked Stock, noting that steel fabricator and galvanizer posted stronger-than-expected earnings. Tailwinds in industries using these materials are another factor George says lifted AZZ's outlook. He dives into the financials and macro picture surrounding the company. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader...