Schwab Network

The U.S. Senate continues to struggle to pass an agreement on reopening the government. Charles Schwab's Mike Townsend says we're starting to see material impacts from the shutdown, including slowdowns at airports due to air traffic staff "protesting" over a lack of paychecks. Mike warns that an extended shutdown into the back half of October will cut into consumer spending. Mich...

“Homebuilders have reached their pivot points on margins,” Neil Dutta argues, so they will move to protect those margins now. He expects less construction employment from here, which will “affect the economy in ways that consensus forecasters aren’t really appreciating at the moment.” He think rates need to be “a lot lower” to bring homebuyers off the sidelines. He covers the weakening labor marke...

Fed Chair Jerome Powell didn't make any point regarding the state of the economy when he took the mic in Washington D.C. Kevin Hincks believes other Fed governors will. He tells investors to watch the wire for economic comments that signal any stance on the interest rate cycle. Rocketing gold prices remain another key interest for investors, as Kevin notes layoffs from the government shutdown...

Mark Gibbens is targeting above 7K for the SPX by year end and 7.5K in 2026. His stock picks include Alibaba (BABA), believing that the U.S. and Chinese AI markets can “coexist.” He also likes CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Shopify (SHOP). However, he’s hesitant around investing in small caps and cautious on crypto. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. S...

Jack Ablin is concerned about the cross-investment and ownership within the tech sector and lists other signs of a potential AI bubble. He notes a study finding a lack of return on AI spend, but he thinks there are industries that will “transform” with the power of AI. He shares some stock picks, including Blackrock (BLK), Abbott (ABT), and Deere (DE), anticipating their dividends to increase “wel...

Diane King Hall talks all about the tech trade when it comes to Thursday morning's movers. She notes TSMC's (TSM) 30% climb in year-over-year revenue, though it didn't power a stock rally. One stock rally Diane does point out: Nvidia (NVDA), after the chipmaking giant secured permission to sell A.I. chips to the United Arab Emirates. Oracle (ORCL) also got a pair of new bulls in Baird...

Rick Ducat looks at the software sector in today's options corner, with focus on Oracle (ORCL). He shows the disruptive nature of the A.I. trade to the overall group before showing the "falling wedge" shape taking place in Oracle after hitting all-time highs last month. Then, Tom White later composes an example options trade with a bullish stance. He notes the company does have an in...

Danielle DiMartino Booth (@DanielleDiMartinoBoothQI) says it was interesting that a handful of Fed members didn't see a need for a rate cut in the September meeting. She believes the Fed will continue to be data dependent, despite the government shutdown disrupting certain reports like non-farm payrolls. Danielle adds there was a "hammering home" of the message that inflation was the...

As the U.S. government shutdown continues, Brandon Clark says markets are moving past it already. He discusses the historical trends from previous shutdowns acting as prior roadmaps for market performance. Brandon adds the Fed's rate cut path is the most significant driver for the economy, especially regarding the labor market. Brandon points to weakness in job-seekers especially recent gradua...

Ben Watson dials up the short-term chart for TSMC (TSM) and shows technical patterns that could indicate "frothiness" with big up and down swings. On the 5-day timeframe, he points to $307 as a possible resistance point and $296 as a level of support. He does say its hard to deny the upward trend on this chart, pointing to the symmetrical jumps since the company's July earnings event...

Fresh off the heels of new highs for equity markets, Tom White and Diane King Hall examine the current market sentiment led by A.I. capex spend by megacap tech stocks. They address the market phrase "climbing the wall of worry" and whether or not that defines the current rally. Tom thinks a "little consolidation" might ultimately be healthy for the markets which encroach on &qu...

With Bitcoin, Ethereum, and crypto-tied products continuing to gain market momentum, Austin King says investors need to stay vigilant on moves in the cryptocurrency space. He says regulatory clarity will drive momentum higher into the fourth quarter and 2026. Austin addresses what he sees in the next wave of blockchain and explains how investors can prepare for what's ahead in crypto innovatio...

“People need to be cautious” about market advice from billionaires, Thomas J. Hayes says. “We’re in an information vacuum going into earnings.” He’s very cautious on the upcoming earnings season, noting difficult comps in the AI space and decelerating growth overall. “Guidance will have to be sensational…in order for there to be zero impact” on shares. He likes Diageo (DEO) and Estee Lauder (EL)....

Jenny Horne and Adam Lynch explore this week's top cryptocurrency headlines including the new all-time highs in Bitcoin (/BTC). Adam dives into the chart and provides some technical areas to watch on any pullbacks. Then, the duo discusses the ongoing government shutdown and one analyst's note on how it could impact crypto regulation. Later, Adam provides an update on a new S&P Global i...

All major indices except the $DJI saw gains on the session with the SPX and NDX tapping new all-time highs. Nvidia (NVDA) moved higher after it backed Elon Musk's xAI, though its rally wasn't nearly as high as AMD Inc.'s (AMD). Dell Technologies (DELL) served as another tech stronghold after getting several price target hikes from analysts. Marley Kayden takes investors through a busy...

Jan Szilagyi and Brian Jacobsen break down today’s FOMC minutes. October cut odds rose on the back of the release, which showed all members voted for a 25 basis point cut in September except one, who advocated for a deeper cut. Brian advocates for trimming winners, with growth risks remaining elevated. Jan thinks every day of the government shutdown adds more fuel to Fed easing, since growth is ex...

Carol Schleif is looking forward to the Beige Book report to gauge economic conditions. She notes that gold, a traditional hedge, is hitting new highs even as the market is, and what could be behind the unusual move. She likes investments in construction, energy and healthcare and sees robust demand for deals. She’s urging clients to “trim where it’s appropriate” and making sure they have the cash...

Joby Aviations (JOBY) shares have jumped nearly 200% over the last year but saw a strong sell-off today after the company announced a new share offering. As George Tsilis points out, speculation surrounding Tesla's (TSLA) latest EV announcement didn't help Joby, either. George talks about how an abundance of optimism priced into pre-revenue stocks like Joby and peers like Archer Aviation (...

Gold's monstrous rally remains a key focus for Marley Kayden and Sam Vadas when it comes to Wednesday's unsung stories. That, paired with energy's lagging performance, are moves they say warrant investor attention. Marley and Sam also talk about points to consider ahead of Jerome Powell's speech in Washington D.C. Thursday morning. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every...

Gold just broke above $4000 for the first time ever, and Joe Cavatoni believes it's more than just a safe-haven play. Cavatoni points to growing concerns over the U.S. dollar's status as a reserve currency, rising debt levels, and central banks' continued gold buying sprees. He also notes that September saw a record $17 billion in gold ETF inflows, with Q3 notching the strongest quarte...

Reuters reports that Confluent (CFLT) is weighing a company sale after the data streaming platform collected acquisition interest. George Tsilis adds that the Confluent serves as a backdoor A.I. play. While the stock is moving higher on the headlines, George explains the headlines that lie ahead for Confluent even if a prospective buyer eyes the company for a bid. ======== Schwab Network ========...

Dell Technologies (DELL) closed as an SPX top performer near its all-time high after capturing bullish attention of analysts. The company recently raised EPS and revenue guidance forecasts. Rick Ducat adds that Dell's exposure to storage gives it an edge, even if its rally still falls vastly short of competitors like Micron (MU). Rick turns to key levels investors should watch in the charts an...

Garett Smith, CEO of Reveal Technology, spotlights the defense sector. He points to an increase in non-traditional contractors and expects larger flows into AI and new, innovative players. He highlights conflicts and potential conflicts around the world to make the case for further defense development. He also comments on what he expects after the government shutdown. He gives investors tips on wh...

“Bull markets don’t die of old age.” Jordan Rizzuto looks at the market’s latest highs and thinks we can still move higher. He previews the upcoming earnings season, discussing how expectations have risen from the depressed level that the tariffs created. He sees three key drivers of risk: consumer behavior, underlying asset strength, and the market’s directional bias. ======== Schwab Network ====...

Dave Mazza with Roundhill Investments talks about how much of a "force" retail investors became during the COVID-19 pandemic, seen in the GameStop (GME) craze in early 2021. A resurgence in meme stock plays led Roundhill to relaunch its MEME ETF, which Dave says gives investors the chance to experience volatility stocks like Opendoor (OPEN), Hims & Hers (HIMS), and Rigetti Computing...